Tim Atkinson's Blog, page 99
May 24, 2011
May 21, 2011
Sunday supplement
Having only just written about the world of electronic wizardry, today I'm turning back the clock to tell you about this: a wonderful site which promises hours of fun in the world of wooden toys. The people behind it were kind enough to send Charlie this wooden easel, and just look what he got up to:
First, painting on the pull-down roll of paper - with any spills collected on the built-in tray
Next, chalking on the chalk-board
...what a clever boy!
... and when you've tired of doing that, you can play with the magnetic letters on the other side.
Sometimes, simple pleasures are best. We bought Eloise a Bumbo chair this week because she likes sitting up so much. And it came in an enormous box, which has been Charlie's favourite toy ever since. And that's the philosophy behind The Wooden Toy Shop. It almost seems incongruous to add the '.co.uk'. But you can find them and their extensive range of traditional toys on line precisely there.
Elsewhere - on the supermarket shelves, to be precise - you might find these:
If, like me, you sometimes struggle to fill the lunch-box with nutritional goodies, these new custard-coated apple and banana flakes might be just the thing. They're tasty and they've proved a popular addition to lunch boxes here. Meanwhile, on the bookshop shelves look out for this:
Out in time for Father's Day and covering everything from how to change a nappy to bonding with your baby, Fatherhood – The Essential Guide takes a down-to-earth look at everything a dad might need to know. Taking dads from the first thoughts of starting a family to the brink of starting school, it deals with everything a dad might need to know as well as containing more than a bit for mums about what their partners might be thinking.
You can buy it on Amazon or on the publisher's own website and if you're struggling to think of something to buy for Father's Day, well... modesty prevents me from stating the obvious!
Have a lovely Sunday. We're off to a Christening today - a useful dress-rehearsal (literally, in some cases) for the one we've got planned for Eloise.
First, painting on the pull-down roll of paper - with any spills collected on the built-in tray
Next, chalking on the chalk-board
...what a clever boy!
... and when you've tired of doing that, you can play with the magnetic letters on the other side.Sometimes, simple pleasures are best. We bought Eloise a Bumbo chair this week because she likes sitting up so much. And it came in an enormous box, which has been Charlie's favourite toy ever since. And that's the philosophy behind The Wooden Toy Shop. It almost seems incongruous to add the '.co.uk'. But you can find them and their extensive range of traditional toys on line precisely there.
Elsewhere - on the supermarket shelves, to be precise - you might find these:
If, like me, you sometimes struggle to fill the lunch-box with nutritional goodies, these new custard-coated apple and banana flakes might be just the thing. They're tasty and they've proved a popular addition to lunch boxes here. Meanwhile, on the bookshop shelves look out for this:
Out in time for Father's Day and covering everything from how to change a nappy to bonding with your baby, Fatherhood – The Essential Guide takes a down-to-earth look at everything a dad might need to know. Taking dads from the first thoughts of starting a family to the brink of starting school, it deals with everything a dad might need to know as well as containing more than a bit for mums about what their partners might be thinking. You can buy it on Amazon or on the publisher's own website and if you're struggling to think of something to buy for Father's Day, well... modesty prevents me from stating the obvious!
Have a lovely Sunday. We're off to a Christening today - a useful dress-rehearsal (literally, in some cases) for the one we've got planned for Eloise.
May 20, 2011
High Noon!
Kindle, iPad or ASUS Transformer? This house ain't big enough for each one of 'em. And never mind the house, neither is my budget. But which should you get if you want to read an eBook? (And plenty do: following the news last January that Kindle sales had outstripped those of paperbacks for the first time, Amazon announced yesterday - less than four years after their introduction - that Kindle eBooks are now outselling physical books of all kinds for the first time ever.)
All three devices have a lot going for them. And I've had a chance to try each one of them for size. I like the fact the Kindle is small, extremely light and has a screen you can view in the brightest sunlight. What I don't like is the way it 'flickers' momentarily from positive to negative as your 'turn' the page, not to mention the fact that you can't do much more on it than read a book. (Ok, so you can play MP3s and even surf a black-and-white version of the 'net if you really want to, but this isn't what the Kindle is for and it shows.)
So, if you want to surf the 'net, watch videos, store and view your photos and do a heck of a lot more besides (and in colour, too) it's going to be an iPad or Transformer. (In the interests of objectivity I should point out that there are other 'tablets' out there but I haven't had the chance to handle them, so can't comment.)
Now the iPad is a seriously sexy piece of machinery. I'm a fan of Apple; I love my iPhone (though it's being given a run for it's money by the HTC desire at the moment) and although my admiration isn't unqualified (I'd never buy a first generation Apple product, especially at the price they charge. If they want me to be a Beta-tester they should be paying me, not charging an arm-and-a-leg for something that soon appears only half-cooked. Ok, so with iPad2 some of these gripes are now sorted: it's slimmer, faster and has some of the features (like Facetime) that the iPad1 should've had all along. But. Price is still an issue, as far as I'm concerned. Especially as here in the UK we seem to be paying more than the equivalent price in U.S dollars.
Of course, getting back to books, the iPad has both iBooks and Kindle software, and has access to all the eBooks published on the Apple store in epub format. And if I was forced to choose on ebook software alone I might well plump for the iPad. I really enjoy the way it mimics a physical page-turn; the layout is good and the settings allow for about as wide a range of reading preferences as you could wish for.
But then, so does the Kindle app both for the iPad and for Android devices like the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer. Of course, both suffer by comparison to the Kindle in bright sunlight. The screens reflect badly, and you aren't going to do much web-browsing or social networking in the garden on a bright, sunny afternoon. But you can read quite comfortably, using the Kindle app, by switching to the white-text-on-black-background setting. Indoors I find the 'sepia' setting easiest on the eye, but that doesn't really cut the mustard in bright sunlight. But switching to a negative of the text works really well, and allows you to read in pretty much the same conditions as the Kindle.
So much for reading books. But what about writing them? (My novel, Writing Therapy - should you be interested - is available on the Kindle for just a little over £2! ) Anyway, if you can read on both the iPad and the Eee-pad I find it less than straightforward inputting large amounts of text on either machine used purely as a tablet device. The touch-screen keyboard is good: but not good enough on either device for high-speed, accurate typing. You know, of the kind you used to be able to hammer out on an old typewriter. But for a mere(!) £439 the ASUS EeePad comes with a keyboard that nearly trebles your battery life and has a couple of USB ports. You're paying about £20 more just for the tablet alone if you want the iPad 2. And adding an Apple keyboard will cost a further fifty quid, although you can get them slightly cheaper if you shop around.
But are you paying more for something better? Well, in some ways - maybe. As an iPhone user, I like the App Store and I'm not as familiar with its Android equivalent. But in every other way I'm beginning to think that the ASUS Eee-Pad is a serious challenger. And for reading - using the Kindle app - I've found it just about perfect. Not as light as the Kindle device, maybe, but an awful lot more versatile.
And I can write on it! Ok, it's not quite as visceral and enjoyable as the old Imperial Good Companion Model T as shown on the cover of Writing Therapy. But it's quick, clean and downright sexy!
All three devices have a lot going for them. And I've had a chance to try each one of them for size. I like the fact the Kindle is small, extremely light and has a screen you can view in the brightest sunlight. What I don't like is the way it 'flickers' momentarily from positive to negative as your 'turn' the page, not to mention the fact that you can't do much more on it than read a book. (Ok, so you can play MP3s and even surf a black-and-white version of the 'net if you really want to, but this isn't what the Kindle is for and it shows.)
So, if you want to surf the 'net, watch videos, store and view your photos and do a heck of a lot more besides (and in colour, too) it's going to be an iPad or Transformer. (In the interests of objectivity I should point out that there are other 'tablets' out there but I haven't had the chance to handle them, so can't comment.)
Now the iPad is a seriously sexy piece of machinery. I'm a fan of Apple; I love my iPhone (though it's being given a run for it's money by the HTC desire at the moment) and although my admiration isn't unqualified (I'd never buy a first generation Apple product, especially at the price they charge. If they want me to be a Beta-tester they should be paying me, not charging an arm-and-a-leg for something that soon appears only half-cooked. Ok, so with iPad2 some of these gripes are now sorted: it's slimmer, faster and has some of the features (like Facetime) that the iPad1 should've had all along. But. Price is still an issue, as far as I'm concerned. Especially as here in the UK we seem to be paying more than the equivalent price in U.S dollars.
Of course, getting back to books, the iPad has both iBooks and Kindle software, and has access to all the eBooks published on the Apple store in epub format. And if I was forced to choose on ebook software alone I might well plump for the iPad. I really enjoy the way it mimics a physical page-turn; the layout is good and the settings allow for about as wide a range of reading preferences as you could wish for.
But then, so does the Kindle app both for the iPad and for Android devices like the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer. Of course, both suffer by comparison to the Kindle in bright sunlight. The screens reflect badly, and you aren't going to do much web-browsing or social networking in the garden on a bright, sunny afternoon. But you can read quite comfortably, using the Kindle app, by switching to the white-text-on-black-background setting. Indoors I find the 'sepia' setting easiest on the eye, but that doesn't really cut the mustard in bright sunlight. But switching to a negative of the text works really well, and allows you to read in pretty much the same conditions as the Kindle.
So much for reading books. But what about writing them? (My novel, Writing Therapy - should you be interested - is available on the Kindle for just a little over £2! ) Anyway, if you can read on both the iPad and the Eee-pad I find it less than straightforward inputting large amounts of text on either machine used purely as a tablet device. The touch-screen keyboard is good: but not good enough on either device for high-speed, accurate typing. You know, of the kind you used to be able to hammer out on an old typewriter. But for a mere(!) £439 the ASUS EeePad comes with a keyboard that nearly trebles your battery life and has a couple of USB ports. You're paying about £20 more just for the tablet alone if you want the iPad 2. And adding an Apple keyboard will cost a further fifty quid, although you can get them slightly cheaper if you shop around.
But are you paying more for something better? Well, in some ways - maybe. As an iPhone user, I like the App Store and I'm not as familiar with its Android equivalent. But in every other way I'm beginning to think that the ASUS Eee-Pad is a serious challenger. And for reading - using the Kindle app - I've found it just about perfect. Not as light as the Kindle device, maybe, but an awful lot more versatile.
And I can write on it! Ok, it's not quite as visceral and enjoyable as the old Imperial Good Companion Model T as shown on the cover of Writing Therapy. But it's quick, clean and downright sexy!
May 18, 2011
Boob job
You've got to love Twitter, haven't you? Within minutes of my despairing tweet this morning about Eloise's refusal - point blank - to take a bottle I had a whole raft of suggestions, mostly helpful, many practical and at least one that was downright laughable, including:
going straight from boob to beaker (@mumsgoneto, @Rhian82, @psychohut)
perseverance (@BumpBirthBeyond)
using a spoon (@loonylis)
using a small espresso cup (@Mumonthebrink)
getting her used to a bottle with water (@ShivHarrison)
getting used to silcon by using nipple shields (@emmaharper)
getting owner of lactating breasts to leave the house for 12 hours and girding your loins (@DawnIsaac)
swapping from breast to bottle halfway through a feed (@ChocOrange)
wearing my wife's clothing! (@mummylimited) and, my personal favourite -
a photo of a boob with a hole for the bottle (@Welshracer)
To get to the point, we'll try them all (well, maybe not the last one) until we find something that works. We can't really complain about Eloise's feeding habits though. She took to the breast within minutes of her birth and seems to have had no problems feeding ever since. Maybe that's the reason something artificial, like a bottle, seems so wrong to her? Whatever the cause, we've got to find a solution - and soon. And preferably one that stops short of radical surgery.
After all, I could never have a boob job.
I haven't got the bottle.
going straight from boob to beaker (@mumsgoneto, @Rhian82, @psychohut)
perseverance (@BumpBirthBeyond)
using a spoon (@loonylis)
using a small espresso cup (@Mumonthebrink)
getting her used to a bottle with water (@ShivHarrison)
getting used to silcon by using nipple shields (@emmaharper)
getting owner of lactating breasts to leave the house for 12 hours and girding your loins (@DawnIsaac)
swapping from breast to bottle halfway through a feed (@ChocOrange)
wearing my wife's clothing! (@mummylimited) and, my personal favourite -
a photo of a boob with a hole for the bottle (@Welshracer)
To get to the point, we'll try them all (well, maybe not the last one) until we find something that works. We can't really complain about Eloise's feeding habits though. She took to the breast within minutes of her birth and seems to have had no problems feeding ever since. Maybe that's the reason something artificial, like a bottle, seems so wrong to her? Whatever the cause, we've got to find a solution - and soon. And preferably one that stops short of radical surgery.
After all, I could never have a boob job.
I haven't got the bottle.
May 16, 2011
Jumping Jack Flash...
Some of you might remember, a while ago, my post ('It's a Gas') about the British Gas/Sainsburys energy partnership. I was invited - along with a restaurant full of bloggers, journalists and other interested parties - to the launch of the new initiative and came away with an appointment for a free energy efficiency survey among other things. My post, at the time, was entirely positive. The presentation was good, the aims clear and the partnership between a ubiquitous high street name and a team of energy expects seemed so obvious and beneficial that you wondered (or at least, I did) why it hadn't been done before.
Well, I'm now (almost) at the end of my extended 'trial' of this new service. Once my new boiler is fitted in a couple of weeks time the process that began at the Walnut Restaurant on Thursday 17th February and included an inspiring presentation by The One Show's Lucy Siegle will be at an end. My slightly superstitious nature is urging me to hold off writing this until the last rivet is in place and the new boiler (which I'm paying for, lest you get the wrong impression) is merrily burning a fraction of the gas used by our old one whilst giving twice the amount of heat and hot water. But no. I'm going to review the service, as requested. And as demanded by you, I'm going to be honest and open. And that means telling you that everything was not as I had expected.
For a start, the 'energy efficiency' survey seemed to consist of a glance in my loft, a check that the cavity walls were insulated and a rather long attempt to sell me a variety of 'energy efficient' products, from kettles to radiator panels. Oh, and new boilers. I resisted all but the final one, partly because I was told that - if I was quick and booked the appointment there and then - I'd qualify for some 'part-exchange' payment which was otherwise due to expire that very day. Well, our boiler is old and inefficient and I thought, 'no harm in having someone round to deliver a quote'. So an appointment was arranged.
At that point things looked up, because the chap who came to assess our need for a new boiler (apart from delivering the bad news that there never had been any kind of part-exchange that I'd have qualified for) was helpful, courteous and efficient. Which is more than can be said for his team back at the office.
We agreed to go ahead; I duly received a 'phone call from HQ, told them how impressed I'd been and how desperate I was to part with nearly three grand. Thence followed a period of radio silence. The promised follow-up did not occur. No one 'phoned or wrote a letter. Nothing.
Now I'm not usually in the habit of going out of my pay to part with hard-earned cash, but I swallowed my pride and I 'phoned them back. Of course, they were very apologetic and things moved swiftly from then on. An administrative oversight, no more, no less.
I'm happy - that glitch excepted - with the boiler side of the arrangement and very happy with the competitive quote I received. And, of course, it was a quote. In writing. So when they came back to measure up and order parts and found that we'd need considerably more complicated flue arrangements than originally thought, they agreed to stand the extra cost. Fair enough, if you ask me. And they spent a considerable amount of time making sure everything was just right.
Which is more than can be said for the chap who 'phoned about the solar panels. At my so-called 'energy efficiency' survey I'd expressed an interest in having someone check out the potential of my roof. In my inexpert opinion, it's excellent: a thirty-metre stretch facing due south. You'd think they'd be falling over themselves to sell me some photo-voltaic panels wouldn't you? But no. Turns out they couldn't even be bothered to take a look. Well, not in person. The 'expert' did 'phone and tell me he'd looked me up on google earth. We had a discussion about whether he'd seen the right property, prompted by his insistence that I had no more than a twelve inch gap between mine and my neighbour's property. But in essence, I just don't think he could be bothered coming out to take a look. He tried telling me that my south facing roof was in the shade of the house next door, which it might be, very slightly. But the fact that the house next door is but two storeys high and mine is three seemed to have escaped him. Oh well, I thought... if you don't want the work.
So it's all systems go for a new boiler. And boy, do we need it. I won't tell you how long it took to have my shower this morning. But if there are any solar panel engineers out there who'd actually be prepared to come out here and take a look, do let me know.
Because British Gas and Sainsburys don't seem that keen, between them, to take my money.
Not that there'll be any left once I've paid for the boiler.
Well, I'm now (almost) at the end of my extended 'trial' of this new service. Once my new boiler is fitted in a couple of weeks time the process that began at the Walnut Restaurant on Thursday 17th February and included an inspiring presentation by The One Show's Lucy Siegle will be at an end. My slightly superstitious nature is urging me to hold off writing this until the last rivet is in place and the new boiler (which I'm paying for, lest you get the wrong impression) is merrily burning a fraction of the gas used by our old one whilst giving twice the amount of heat and hot water. But no. I'm going to review the service, as requested. And as demanded by you, I'm going to be honest and open. And that means telling you that everything was not as I had expected.
For a start, the 'energy efficiency' survey seemed to consist of a glance in my loft, a check that the cavity walls were insulated and a rather long attempt to sell me a variety of 'energy efficient' products, from kettles to radiator panels. Oh, and new boilers. I resisted all but the final one, partly because I was told that - if I was quick and booked the appointment there and then - I'd qualify for some 'part-exchange' payment which was otherwise due to expire that very day. Well, our boiler is old and inefficient and I thought, 'no harm in having someone round to deliver a quote'. So an appointment was arranged.
At that point things looked up, because the chap who came to assess our need for a new boiler (apart from delivering the bad news that there never had been any kind of part-exchange that I'd have qualified for) was helpful, courteous and efficient. Which is more than can be said for his team back at the office.
We agreed to go ahead; I duly received a 'phone call from HQ, told them how impressed I'd been and how desperate I was to part with nearly three grand. Thence followed a period of radio silence. The promised follow-up did not occur. No one 'phoned or wrote a letter. Nothing.
Now I'm not usually in the habit of going out of my pay to part with hard-earned cash, but I swallowed my pride and I 'phoned them back. Of course, they were very apologetic and things moved swiftly from then on. An administrative oversight, no more, no less.
I'm happy - that glitch excepted - with the boiler side of the arrangement and very happy with the competitive quote I received. And, of course, it was a quote. In writing. So when they came back to measure up and order parts and found that we'd need considerably more complicated flue arrangements than originally thought, they agreed to stand the extra cost. Fair enough, if you ask me. And they spent a considerable amount of time making sure everything was just right.
Which is more than can be said for the chap who 'phoned about the solar panels. At my so-called 'energy efficiency' survey I'd expressed an interest in having someone check out the potential of my roof. In my inexpert opinion, it's excellent: a thirty-metre stretch facing due south. You'd think they'd be falling over themselves to sell me some photo-voltaic panels wouldn't you? But no. Turns out they couldn't even be bothered to take a look. Well, not in person. The 'expert' did 'phone and tell me he'd looked me up on google earth. We had a discussion about whether he'd seen the right property, prompted by his insistence that I had no more than a twelve inch gap between mine and my neighbour's property. But in essence, I just don't think he could be bothered coming out to take a look. He tried telling me that my south facing roof was in the shade of the house next door, which it might be, very slightly. But the fact that the house next door is but two storeys high and mine is three seemed to have escaped him. Oh well, I thought... if you don't want the work.
So it's all systems go for a new boiler. And boy, do we need it. I won't tell you how long it took to have my shower this morning. But if there are any solar panel engineers out there who'd actually be prepared to come out here and take a look, do let me know.
Because British Gas and Sainsburys don't seem that keen, between them, to take my money.
Not that there'll be any left once I've paid for the boiler.
May 13, 2011
Psychology Friday... Revision!
Didn't I tell you there was going to be a test? Are you sure I didn't? Well, how remiss of me. But there's no escaping it now. You're entered for the exam, and it's now but just a few short weeks away. And as part of your revision, I can't recommend this book highly enough:
For a start, it's organised in such a way as to mirror certain features of learning. Because, strange as it may seem, our brains aren't really wired up for words, in lines, on paper. Given that our brains have been around for about 150,000 years and writing - in any form - has been around for a mere 5,000 years that's not difficult to believe. That bio-computer housed in our skull has evolved to help us survive in just about any set of circumstances imaginable: to hunt; to avoid being hunted; to pass on our 'immortal' genes. But it hasn't - yet - evolved to learn from books. It's an unnatural activity, which is probably why so many people find it so difficult. And it takes a lot of effort - more than is strictly necessary - because of the way we force ourselves to do it.
Not with these books. For a start, there's plenty of colour - the brain likes colour - and the words are limited to those that are essential (key words) and there are plenty of pictures and diagrams. They're neatly divided into easily-studied sections too, so that you can take those essential brain-breaks as regularly as necessary (which is roughly every twenty minutes). Furthermore, they're easily affordable - especially if you can persuade your teacher to order them direct through school as their are some very generous discounts to be had.
So there's no excuse really. You've still got to revise, of course. But with these guides - and they do them in a huge range of subjects - your revision will be easier, more enjoyable and probably more effective.
I'd wish everyone with exams in the next few weeks 'good luck'. But if you revise smarter - not harder - you won't need luck. And you'll do better!
But good luck anyway.
For a start, it's organised in such a way as to mirror certain features of learning. Because, strange as it may seem, our brains aren't really wired up for words, in lines, on paper. Given that our brains have been around for about 150,000 years and writing - in any form - has been around for a mere 5,000 years that's not difficult to believe. That bio-computer housed in our skull has evolved to help us survive in just about any set of circumstances imaginable: to hunt; to avoid being hunted; to pass on our 'immortal' genes. But it hasn't - yet - evolved to learn from books. It's an unnatural activity, which is probably why so many people find it so difficult. And it takes a lot of effort - more than is strictly necessary - because of the way we force ourselves to do it.
Not with these books. For a start, there's plenty of colour - the brain likes colour - and the words are limited to those that are essential (key words) and there are plenty of pictures and diagrams. They're neatly divided into easily-studied sections too, so that you can take those essential brain-breaks as regularly as necessary (which is roughly every twenty minutes). Furthermore, they're easily affordable - especially if you can persuade your teacher to order them direct through school as their are some very generous discounts to be had.
So there's no excuse really. You've still got to revise, of course. But with these guides - and they do them in a huge range of subjects - your revision will be easier, more enjoyable and probably more effective.
I'd wish everyone with exams in the next few weeks 'good luck'. But if you revise smarter - not harder - you won't need luck. And you'll do better!
But good luck anyway.
May 11, 2011
Pooh-sticks
A chance walk through a local wood and a tiny bridge over a stream has opened up a whole new world of imaginative and literary possibilities. Charlie knew of Winnie the Pooh; the collected tales sit on his shelves; I might even have subjected him to my all-time favourite audio version, as read by Alan Bennett. But we'd not really 'done' A.A.Milne, not seriously. Until now. Because this bridge, and the stream that flowed beneath, demanded that we play a game of Pooh-sticks...
Pooh-sticks, you'll remember, was the game invented by Pooh at the point where the river had ceased worrying whether it was going to get there or not, but just meandered along lazily not really caring. If you don't remember or if - heaven forfend - you've never come across the stories there's a wonderful opportunity to re-acquaint yourselves with them, thanks to Fairy. Because between now and the end of May, they've giving away one of three Winnie the Pooh audio books with these special packs:
And that's not all. Because the team behind this latest promotion have also decided to give away a fantastic personalised toy box stuffed full of Fairy and Winnie-the-Pooh goodies to one lucky reader of Bringing up Charlie. In addition to the three audio books, this treasure chest contains one of each of the following Fairy products: Fabric Softener; Non Bio Gel; a special Fairy blanket and a Winnie the Pooh cuddly toy.
It's like the Generation Game, only better. Because to enter - you don't have to remember any of the prizes just, well...
Well normally, you just have to leave a comment. But that seems a bit too easy. After all, quite apart from what's in the box, the box itself will prove invaluable when it's time to tidy away your children's toys. It's sturdy, roomy and has one of those clever 'soft' hinges so that the lid doesn't close with a finger-trapping bang. They've thought of everything. And if you'd like to win it - as well as what's inside - you'll not only need to leave a comment but tweet about it too. Oh, and click my 'Follow' button if you haven't done already. Oh yes, and buy a book from Dotterel Press. And buy me a drink (mine's a pint, remember?) next time you see me.
No, seriously, any - or all - of the above (apart, maybe, from the drink - although I'll not refuse if I see you at the bar at Cybermummy!) will secure you one entry (just make sure you let me know which entries - other than comments - are yours) and the draw will be made by Charlie this coming Saturday.
Good luck!
Pooh-sticks, you'll remember, was the game invented by Pooh at the point where the river had ceased worrying whether it was going to get there or not, but just meandered along lazily not really caring. If you don't remember or if - heaven forfend - you've never come across the stories there's a wonderful opportunity to re-acquaint yourselves with them, thanks to Fairy. Because between now and the end of May, they've giving away one of three Winnie the Pooh audio books with these special packs:
And that's not all. Because the team behind this latest promotion have also decided to give away a fantastic personalised toy box stuffed full of Fairy and Winnie-the-Pooh goodies to one lucky reader of Bringing up Charlie. In addition to the three audio books, this treasure chest contains one of each of the following Fairy products: Fabric Softener; Non Bio Gel; a special Fairy blanket and a Winnie the Pooh cuddly toy. 
It's like the Generation Game, only better. Because to enter - you don't have to remember any of the prizes just, well...
Well normally, you just have to leave a comment. But that seems a bit too easy. After all, quite apart from what's in the box, the box itself will prove invaluable when it's time to tidy away your children's toys. It's sturdy, roomy and has one of those clever 'soft' hinges so that the lid doesn't close with a finger-trapping bang. They've thought of everything. And if you'd like to win it - as well as what's inside - you'll not only need to leave a comment but tweet about it too. Oh, and click my 'Follow' button if you haven't done already. Oh yes, and buy a book from Dotterel Press. And buy me a drink (mine's a pint, remember?) next time you see me.
No, seriously, any - or all - of the above (apart, maybe, from the drink - although I'll not refuse if I see you at the bar at Cybermummy!) will secure you one entry (just make sure you let me know which entries - other than comments - are yours) and the draw will be made by Charlie this coming Saturday.
Good luck!
May 9, 2011
Home town
If you've ever wondered where I live, here's a film about it. It's astonishing how little seems to have changed. That windmill still works; I see it daily from my study window. And that church - that's where we got married. People still come from 'outside' to help with the harvest and - now as then - many of them stay. This short film is achingly nostalgic, and I hope you enjoy it.
Country Town (1943) from British Council Film Archive on Vimeo.
Country Town (1943) from British Council Film Archive on Vimeo.
May 7, 2011
Winner Takes All!
Well, not quite all. But one lucky reader certainly takes the biscuit this morning... or rather, the breakfast cereal. £25 worth of the stuff, to be precise.
You see, some time ago I ran a competition to win not one but EIGHT boxes of breakfast cereal. Charlie and I duly picked a winner in time-honoured fashion. (I write the names on a scrap of paper, he's supposed to take one out of the hat but ends up taking them all out, one-by-one, so I choose the one name that he missed, the one looking all forlorn at the bottom of the hat.) And that name belonged to... NotSupermum. Yes. Well done, NotSupermum. So far, so good.
But we hit a problem. You see, the PR who kindly donated the prize left the company between offering the bran flakes and me picking out a winner. Since then, radio-silence seems to have been maintained. Emails have been sent; emails have bounced back. To be honest, I'd forgotten all about it. Until yesterday, when this chap's replacement got in touch to ask me for the winner's name. So all is well once again. And NotSupermum has got a lot of breakfast cereal coming her way. (They'll be in touch, NSM.)
More recently I ran another competition. (I'm good at this!) This time the prize was a pair of tickets to The Baby Show later this month. The lucky winners this time are...
Domestic Goddesque
Polly
Liz
Baby Buggy Boat
and
Emma and 3
Well done! To claim the tickets send your details to sarah.barns@ideageneration.co.uk and she'll do this rest.
Finally, if you're starting to feel as though Lady Luck might have deserted you, don't despair. Because for the price of just one comment on this post, saying (almost) anything at all, I can offer one of you a copy of this when it comes out on May 26th...
As the blurb says, Bear Grylls is a man who has always sought the ultimate in adventure. Growing up on the Isle of Wight, he was taught by his father to sail and climb at an early age. Inevitably, it wasn't long before Bear was leading out-of-bounds night-climbing missions at school.
Apparently, Mr Grylls was recently voted the most admired man in Britain. And there's a lot to admire, from service in the SAS to being one of the youngest climbers ever to conquer Everest. I'm certainly not going to argue with him. Although I would like to know if that's his real name. For now, though, I'll leave you with this tempting tag-line:
Gripping, moving and wildly exhilarating, in Mud, Sweat and Tears, Bear tells his remarkable story for the first time.
And if you'd like to read it without forking out the £18.99 that the book is going to cost, leave a comment in the space below. Go on. I dare you!
ils
You see, some time ago I ran a competition to win not one but EIGHT boxes of breakfast cereal. Charlie and I duly picked a winner in time-honoured fashion. (I write the names on a scrap of paper, he's supposed to take one out of the hat but ends up taking them all out, one-by-one, so I choose the one name that he missed, the one looking all forlorn at the bottom of the hat.) And that name belonged to... NotSupermum. Yes. Well done, NotSupermum. So far, so good.
But we hit a problem. You see, the PR who kindly donated the prize left the company between offering the bran flakes and me picking out a winner. Since then, radio-silence seems to have been maintained. Emails have been sent; emails have bounced back. To be honest, I'd forgotten all about it. Until yesterday, when this chap's replacement got in touch to ask me for the winner's name. So all is well once again. And NotSupermum has got a lot of breakfast cereal coming her way. (They'll be in touch, NSM.)
More recently I ran another competition. (I'm good at this!) This time the prize was a pair of tickets to The Baby Show later this month. The lucky winners this time are...
Domestic Goddesque
Polly
Liz
Baby Buggy Boat
and
Emma and 3
Well done! To claim the tickets send your details to sarah.barns@ideageneration.co.uk and she'll do this rest.
Finally, if you're starting to feel as though Lady Luck might have deserted you, don't despair. Because for the price of just one comment on this post, saying (almost) anything at all, I can offer one of you a copy of this when it comes out on May 26th...
As the blurb says, Bear Grylls is a man who has always sought the ultimate in adventure. Growing up on the Isle of Wight, he was taught by his father to sail and climb at an early age. Inevitably, it wasn't long before Bear was leading out-of-bounds night-climbing missions at school.
Apparently, Mr Grylls was recently voted the most admired man in Britain. And there's a lot to admire, from service in the SAS to being one of the youngest climbers ever to conquer Everest. I'm certainly not going to argue with him. Although I would like to know if that's his real name. For now, though, I'll leave you with this tempting tag-line:
Gripping, moving and wildly exhilarating, in Mud, Sweat and Tears, Bear tells his remarkable story for the first time.
And if you'd like to read it without forking out the £18.99 that the book is going to cost, leave a comment in the space below. Go on. I dare you!
ils
May 5, 2011
5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
Thunderbird 2 is go! Complete with detachable pod and Thunderbird 4, of course. Here's one I made earlier...
And all you need - should you be bored or foolish enough to want have a go yourselves - is a few empty bottles and containers like these...
A shampoo bottle, one of those little Sodastream sample sachets, and the plastic box that Eloise's dummies came in. (Yes, I'm afraid we've succumbed to the soother!). As we're looking to play with these in the bath (where else could Thunderbird 4 go on his underwater missions?) I've excluded Charlie from the painting stage this time, and done the job myself. Outside. With some cans.
In fact, I've had to exclude Charlie from the cutting stages too, as you need a fairly strong knife to slice through the plastic. Be careful! But he was allowed to draw round the pod so I could cut out the correct shape.
If you are having a go (and why wouldn't you?) remember to keep the bits of plastic that you cut out: they'll be needed for the wings and fins (easily fitted by means of cutting slits in the plastic and slotting them in). And after that it's just a small matter of adding detail with a marker pen, and away you go. F.A.B.
Apart from the painting (which didn't take long to do, just a while to dry) this is about one of the simplest, quickest crafting projects we've done. Ok, it's not very hands-on for a toddler. Well, not until near the end, anyway...
Charlie's verdict? 'That's fantastic!' And a lot less than the forty quid they want on eBay at the moment.
And all you need - should you be bored or foolish enough to want have a go yourselves - is a few empty bottles and containers like these...
A shampoo bottle, one of those little Sodastream sample sachets, and the plastic box that Eloise's dummies came in. (Yes, I'm afraid we've succumbed to the soother!). As we're looking to play with these in the bath (where else could Thunderbird 4 go on his underwater missions?) I've excluded Charlie from the painting stage this time, and done the job myself. Outside. With some cans.
In fact, I've had to exclude Charlie from the cutting stages too, as you need a fairly strong knife to slice through the plastic. Be careful! But he was allowed to draw round the pod so I could cut out the correct shape.
If you are having a go (and why wouldn't you?) remember to keep the bits of plastic that you cut out: they'll be needed for the wings and fins (easily fitted by means of cutting slits in the plastic and slotting them in). And after that it's just a small matter of adding detail with a marker pen, and away you go. F.A.B.
Apart from the painting (which didn't take long to do, just a while to dry) this is about one of the simplest, quickest crafting projects we've done. Ok, it's not very hands-on for a toddler. Well, not until near the end, anyway...
Charlie's verdict? 'That's fantastic!' And a lot less than the forty quid they want on eBay at the moment.
