Clare Macnaughton's Blog, page 40

Have you made a Will yet?

Why you should think about writing a will

No one likes to think about their own death but writing a Will is often essential if you want your money, property and belongings to go to your loved ones.

What happens if I don’t make a Will?

If you die without making a Will, you will have died intestate and the rules of intestacy will apply. These rules were created in 1925 and many people believe they do not reflect many aspects of modern living.

Rules of intestacy do not, for example, make any provision for stepchildren. Nor do they recognise partners who are neither married nor part of a civil partnership. Some people believe that a thing called ‘common law marriage’ will grant their partners certain rights if they have been living together for a certain period of time. In reality, common law marriage is a myth and has no legal basis under UK law. Close friends, carers and charities cannot benefit under the rules of intestacy either.

Under the rules of intestacy, spouses or civil partners will inherit personal belongings and the first £250,000 of any estate. If you have divorced or legally-ended the partnership, they are not entitled to inherit but if you have split up without legally dissolving the relationship, they can.

Children can inherit if there is no spouse or civil partner. They also get a share if the estate is worth more than £250,000. If there are no children, other close relatives can also inherit. If there are no blood relatives, the estate goes to the Crown instead.

How do I make a Will?

It’s possible to make your own Will. There are a number of guides available to help you and you can even make Wills online but it’s worth bearing in mind that if a Will is not legally correct, you will still be considered to have died intestate. Even a small mistake could be enough to invalidate a Will. Unless you are certain about what you are doing it is therefore important to get the right legal advice and help writing a will.

It’s also worth remembering that your situation and circumstances can change. You might have had grandchildren since the first drafting of your Will, for example, or you might have been through a divorce. Some beneficiaries may have died themselves or your assets and property may have considerably changed. You can review and change your Will at any time, giving you continual peace of mind that your estate will go exactly where you want it to when you’re no longer here.

 

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#sethtests @pengillyseth The Super Valet tests Autoglym products

As you may have noticed we are doing more product reviews and I have managed to rope in one of my neighbours @pengillyseth to help test products. We are always looking for interesting things to review so if you have anything that you want us to #sethtests then please email me at:

amodernmilitarymother@gmail.com

Click on this link or the image to below to watch this 20 minute film as #sethtests Autoglym products and as Seth the Super Valet gives my car a 6 hour valet. The notion of cleaning your car for 6 hours of your life doesn’t really bear thinking about however, the results are spectacular. Also, I have learned through this process that men who are into cleaning cars are really into cleaning cars. Autoglym is the car valet cleaning product of choice. Anyone who likes to polish their metal rave and covet Autoglym products – they are without doubt the best on the market.

It is nice to have a clean car and a few weeks on despite my children’s best efforts to return my car to a skip like state it’s still holding it’s own. I might have to persuade that @pengillyseth to give it another quick valet though!!

@pengillyseth tests Autoglym products

If you want @pengillyseth to ‘super valet’ your car then email me at: amodernmilitarymother@gmail.com

or alternatively, give the fella a tweet and he’ll get back to you!! It’s so worth it!

The post #sethtests @pengillyseth The Super Valet tests Autoglym products appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

Busy Bees Sensational Soup competition 2013 #souper

I was very lucky to attend the final of the Busy Bees Sensational Soup 2013 competition. Although my children never attended a Busy Bees nursery they both attended nurseries since they were babies and I think a good nursery is worth it’s weight in gold. Busy Bees is the UK’s largest childcare nursery provider with 213 nurseries worldwide. Each of their day nurseries are specifically designed to suit the needs of a child, with large, bright, colourful play rooms and outdoor play areas, complete with modern equipment and a variety of age appropriate toys that children adore. Their child-centred approach promotes the development of creativity, individuality and self-confidence, whilst delivering the highest standards of nursery care.

Marg Randles, Managing Director and Co-founder explained to me that Busy Bees are passionate about delivering the best food possible to their children. Despite having tried and tested menus that fulfill all the required standards to fit there big network of nurseries within each establishment they have some amazing chefs, who have so much imagination and creativity to offer, which needed to be incorporated into the menu. Busy Bees wanted to get soup on the menu and to get the children involved in the process and so the Sensational Soup competition was born. Busy Bees is divided into 9 regions and each of the region held there own competition. The 9 finalists were then invited to a ‘soup off’ held at The Carnarvon Arms, Highclere and judged by Marg Randles and associates, with Marco Pierre White’s Executive Chef Andy Bennet.

What an impossible competition to judge. The quality and creativity of soups and breads on offer was incredible. But what was notable was the involvement and thought each establishment had put into the decision and story of each individual soup. It made me wish that my children had gone to a Busy Bees nursery. Getting children to eat a balanced healthy diet is one of the great battles of parenting, especially if you have a child like my 10 year old son, who has always used food as means of control. Having a tactile and creative relationship with food has always helped my over come this battle. The soups I tasted today and my personal favourite was the Bacon and beetroot soup which was delicious. In a nursery environment where establishments are challenged with emerging food intolerances and stringent guidelines creative soups can be a one fits all solution to create a healthy, hearty balanced meal on a cold winters day.

I am pleased to exclusively announce that Sandra’s Curried Cauliflower & Carrot soup with Beetroot Bread was the winner. The bread was indeed incredible – light, fluffy and slightly sweet – the soup filling, smooth and with a very gentle curry flavouring.

Of course, the standard of competition was so high that there are whispers that Busy Bees will be doing a #Souper book which they absolutely should. Andy Bennet declared that the soup would be on the menu at The Carnarvon Arms in honour of the competition, which is without doubt sensationally souper!! Congratulations so Sandra!!

 

And don’t forget to sign the PETITION to MAKE CHILDCARE 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE - you know it makes sense!!!

 

 

The post Busy Bees Sensational Soup competition 2013 #souper appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

Marco Pierre White’s Wheeler’s Horse & Groom Pub Malmesbury

Residing on the edge of the Cotswold, The Horse and Groom in Chilton, Malmesbury, has officially re-opened its doors under the expert stewardship of Marco Pierre White.  This picture-perfect traditional country pub with five en-suite rooms has undergone an intensive “Marco Makeover”, with every square inch (from structural changes, flooring, furniture, lighting and furnishings to textures, colours, sculptures, pictures and photographs) carefully collected and displayed by Marco to make the most of the pub’s original features and to create a variety of eating and drinking areas to suit every occasion.

The Horse & Groom Inn, Charlton, is one of those rare Wiltshire pubs where we can promise you truly sensational food, real ales and stylish accommodation all set in glorious surroundings on the edge of the Cotswolds.

Fronted by a tree-sheltered lawn and surrounded by its own paddock, this 16th Century property’s interior is entirely in keeping with the grade II listed building where none of the charm or Country Inn feel has been compromised.

The cosy Charlton Bar with its original flagstone floors and open log fire is warm and welcoming, serving real ales and outstanding food. The restaurant provides a relaxed and charming space to sample our award-winning menus, whilst our gardens offer the perfect place for al fresco dining in the summer.

They have five spacious and stylish bedrooms, each completely unique and with their own large and airy bathroom, complete with roll-top bath.

They pride themselves on friendly, yet professional style and relaxed and informal surroundings and hope to welcome you to The Horse & Groom Inn very soon.

For reservations, please call 01666 823904

The Horse and Groom is Marco’s fifth pub under his Wheeler’s Inn brand (please go to www.marcopierrewhite.org for venue listings), each one bearing the hallmark of MPW but maintaining a character all of its own.  Marco’s vision, shared by his team, is to create warm and charming places where you can be fed good honest food and served a decent pint or drink of choice at a price point that is affordable, whether it be a birthday treat for mother, a catch up pint with friends, or a romantic treat for a loved one…

General Manager, Letty White, Marco’s eldest daughter, is heading up the warm and friendly front of house team, while Marco’s Head Chef is Johnny Forbes will be delivering the exceptional standard and consistency you’d expect from an MPW establishment.

The A la carte menu, packed with MPW pub classics including his famous Governor Steak and Ale Pie, Fish and Chips and Wheelers of St James Fish Pie, will change on a daily basis with starters available from £5.50, mains from £13.50 and desserts at £5.50.  The bar menu serves main boards at £8.50 and the steak night menu is available on Sunday and Monday evenings between 6 pm and 9 pm. Sample menus are available to download from the website – for any other information please call  01666 823904.

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Review – Ladies Double Strap Swatch Watch

Mrs Sparkle reviews the ladies double strap Swatch watch:

To be honest this watch isn’t really my kind of thing, not because there’s anything wrong with it, it’s just not my taste, my 11 year old daughter however, loves it.  The strap is extra long, it has to be otherwise it wouldn’t be a double strap but just a regular watch.  On first glance I assumed it would be awkward to fasten as you have to wrap one half of the strap around your wrist twice before doing it up but actually it’s really flexible which makes it easy.  It’s very comfortable to wear but may take a bit of effort and ‘faffing’ to get the extra strap in the best position for you,  it has loads of holes to choose from to do it up so it will fit almost any size wrist, a plus point for sure.

When it’s on it looks good, and the double strap makes it a little more interesting than the norm without being flashy. There is one drawback to this watch, but in my opinion it’s only a little one!,  it’s only ‘3 bar’ water resistance which I think means you can’t wear it swimming but you’d get away with a quick shower, this doesn’t matter to my daughter as swimming is a form of exercise so she’d rather just keep her watch on!

There’s a 2 year warranty from the date of purchase so if in the unlikely event your watch goes wrong, you’ll be covered.

Choosing a watch is a personal thing, we all have different tastes but you can’t really go wrong with this watch, everything about it says ‘Swatch’ but is more understated than some of the others, it comes in lots of different colours and if you like Swatch or you just want a plain, simple watch with a twist then this is the Swatch for you!

The post Review – Ladies Double Strap Swatch Watch appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

Legs

LEGS

by E M Faustus

Oh… And Chris Davison

 

     “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

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RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR”

I’m a tough guy.  Right?

E.M Faustus.  Private Eye.

I do the dirty little jobs the Police can’t or won’t do.

Only work 1940’s genre, where men were men and women…

     “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR”

……. were damn grateful of it.

E.M Faustus.  Hero to the weak and terror to Evil doers everywhere.

Never known to walk away from a fight.

Even when out numbered.

Even when out gunned.

Which is all of the time, because I don’t carry a gun.

I’m English.

Not some fucking psycho…..

     “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR”

….. Colonial.

I never walk away.

Sometimes I have been known to Run Like Fuck though.

I have run away from Werewolves, Vampires, The Fae, Daemons……

     “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR”

…. and in the interests of Equal Ops, Angles.

I have run away from Mobs, Gangs, Couples and the Odd Individual.  The later mainly being Husbands With Guns.  I don’t always know the lady is married.

But one thing I always hate to do, is run away in the company of someone else.

I don’t feel embarrassment at being seen running away.

What I hate…..

     “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR”

……. is having to throw Humphrey ahead of me to clear these bloody walls.  Is it my fault he’s only six inches tall?

And the damn walls are seven foot high?

I was shattered climbing them myself.

“Why can’t I just ride in your jacket pocket?”  he screamed as I scooped him up again.

“What jacket?” I asked.

“Alright, trouser pocket.”

“What trousers?”  and I hauled back for another throw.

I was wearing boxers, shirt and tie, a hastily put on pair of brogues,  and of course, my Trilby.

Well… the Lady liked my Trilby.

Oh… and now I was also wearing Humphrey.  My six inch tall Homunculus son.  Delivered via nasal birth and….. Look.  I don’t have time to explain it.  Just trust me.  Looks a bit like a frog, and a lot like a pervert.

Humphrey clung to my hand for grim life.  “Hat then.  I’ll ride on your hat.  It’s a nice hat.  I like that hat.  That hat is my bestest friend ever.  I want to marry that hat and have its babies, but more than anything else, I want you to stop throwing me and let me ride on that fucking hat.”

I dropped Humphrey on top of my Trilby and proceeded to climb the next wall.  I felt his hands dig into the crown, while his slid his feet into my Puggaree……

What?

What now?

In my business, knowing the difference between the component parts of your head gear is the difference between life and…remembering that Robert Rankin also uses this running gag in his work, so probably a good time to stop it right now.

Shame, because it’s a damn good gag.

“Chickens.” screamed Humphrey as I dropped.  I did wonder what he meant, until I was shin deep in poultry…

 

 

 

It had been so simple an idea at the time.

And for once, it wasn’t Pete’s fault.

Or Nelly’s.

Or even Humphs..

Sure.  I’d blame them.  That’s just the kind of guy I am, but it wasn’t even mine.

It was a nice simple job.  Just retrieve a little stolen property from a house.  A young woman’s wedding ring.  I’d done the usual stuff.  Found out who was working an area.  Worked out who had it.  Then went to see them.

The thief in question had been Cyril The Snail.

His first name had been Brian, but he’d changed it, because it embarrassed him.

He was called Cyril The Snail because of his incredibly big nose, and perpetual cold.  He just couldn’t shift it.  Consequently he’d leave a trail of lovely DNA loaded mucus everywhere he went.  Consequently, when the police got hold of him he spent a long time in The Big House.

Cyril The Snail was currently spending time at His Majesties Pleasure.  So we had a plan.  Humph and I.  I’d keep the lonely lady occupied, while he searched for the ring.

That’s when Hump got caught up in an anti-mascara.

And our plan went to shit.

Apparently the classes in jail had turned Cyril into a bit of a crochet artiste.

I hoped Pete’s Night Class would do the same for him.

Pete is my business partner.  I was left him in a will.  Half Daemon, half Angel, half human and all Moron.

I’d sent him on a class that would prove useful.  Akido.  But there was the moment when the instructor says to ‘Hit Him’… so Pete knocked him into Nelly’s Knitting class, where Nelly was teaching a group of students how to knit barbed wire underwear.  Ready for their Friday night B&D class…

Oh…. Nelly.  Our six foot six cross dressing, man mountain receptionist.

They do some funny bloody classes at that Community Centre.

There’s one they do.   ‘An Introduction to Amateur Proctology:  A Hobby for fun and profit’, well it frankly scares me.

So I let him do the one he wanted in the first place.  Basket Weaving.  How much trouble can you get into basket weaving?

But this was Pete.

Best not to think about it.

Best to get rid of the chickens and just keep running.

I’ve had a lot of unpleasant things happen to me over the years.  But no shooting, burning, stabbing, gutting etc prepares you for having a flock of pissed off chickens attack you at naddger height.

Those tiny little love bites from those beaks would take a LOT of explaining to My Lady.  And hopefully not give her ideas.

“Who exactly are we running from?” Humphrey asked.  “I thought her husband was in nick.”

“I don’t know.” I called back, climbing the next wall to discover it was topped with broken glass.  I may have let loose a sweary.  “But there’s a lot of them and they are really, really pissed off.  Why don’t you turn around and see.”

“Only if you want me to piddle down the back of your neck again Dad.”  Just keep running.”

While every Copper, Soilder, Sailor etc knows that one day, you’ll have to run away, none of them really likes it.  And for the first couple of years I did it, I didn’t either.  But spend enough time in this line of work, not being dead, and you come to appreciate it.  Hell, I’d even trained for it.  I did a night class in the Community Centre on Hurdling.

But that does not prepare you for a lot of terrace houses, where each house has a back yard, and each yard is separated by a bloody great brick wall.

And I was getting tired.

 

 

Sometimes I regret having, certain hobbies.

I know most people would put squiggly bits around the word hobbies.  You know what I mean… ‘hobbies’.  But I work hard at my hobbies.

They might not be what most people call hobbies.

Coffee drinking.

Very, very occasional recreational drug taking.

The Trick With The Five Scarves And The Ice Cubes.

Heavy smoking.

Right at that minute, I was really beginning to regret the heavy smoking.

I don’t actually count how many I smoke in a given day, but it’s more than a pack a day.

So by the thirtieth wall, I’m not sure I still had my lungs still in my body.

“Keep going.  Keep going.” Humphrey shouted

“Is that sweat on my neck or…”

“Sorry Dad, but I turned around.”  Humphrey said.  “And you really, really don’t want to turn around.  Just keep running.”

“What incentive do I have?” I called, resting my head against the wall for a second.

“I could poo.  And trust me Dad.  That’s a definite option right now.  Me bum is going from a penny to a bin lid”

“More info than I needed.”  Although a description I completely understood.  I got back to climbing.

 

 

When you’re running away you also want to have a couple of things to hand.  One of these being a pair of trousers.

It was night time.  In February.  Lightly snowing.  Ice starting to form, and my bollocks had receded so far I kept having to swallow to stop me spitting them out.

And something’s you really don’t want to hear.

“Rose bush.” Humph shouted.

Yep.  That was one of them.

“Big Horny Looking Dog.”

Yep.  That was another.

“Crocodile.”

“Piss off.” I shouted and jumped.

Turns out he wasn’t joking.

 

 

 

One day, providing that I didn’t end up deaded, I would learn to drive.  A nice car.  A comfortable car.  With heated seats.  And one of those boots you can open just by putting your thumb on it.  And in said boot I’d keep a spare change of clothes.  And a packet of fags.  And some spare underpants.  And Shirt.  And Tie.

Now this is just a simple question… Not a hard one at all, but who…just who…

 

WHO HAS A FUCKING CROCODILE POND IN T|HEIR BACK YARD?

 

What’s next?

Piranha in the outside toilet?

Rabid shrews in the shrubbery?

Ah.  No.

Try Parrots in the shed.

 

 

 

By the time I climbed wall number thirty nine, I was willing to die.

I had rose thorns in my testicles.

My legs had been damn near electrolysised by hyperactive chickens.

My bloody boxer shorts had been eaten by a crocodile.

My shirt and tie had been ripped from my body by psychotic parrots.

My hat had been subjected to a combination of Homunculus poo and pee.

It couldn’t get much worse.

I looked behind me.

 

 

I looked behind me some more.

 

 

I looked over the wall I’d just climbed over.

 

 

Nothing.

 

 

“Where did they go?” I asked.

“Oh, the Crocodile’s got them.” Humphrey said.  “I didn’t tell you because I thought you’d like to put some distance between you and the bloodshed.  When I saw that…that’s when I pooed myself.  Sorry, but it was horrible.”

I slid down the wall.  Next to everything else, some brick burns on my back were the least of my worries.   “Humph.” I wheezed, “  There are only three things stopping me from hitting you with a brick at the minute.  One, I can’t find one.  Two.  You’re sat on my very damp and smelly hat.  Three.  I don’t think I could lift my arms.”

Then a security light went on.

I was in a large, walled rose garden.  That probably explained why my buttocks felt like they were filled with more thorns.

“What street were we on again?” I asked Humph.

“St Agness Street.”  A noise came from atop my head.  “Sorry Dad.  I’ve just been sick.”

“And what is there at the end of St Agness Street?”  I slid a smoke into my mouth and lit it.  Something’s you don’t drop.

“Bloody great Nunnery, filled with a bunch of paramilitary nuns who think you’re the anti-Christ.”

“Ah.  That explains it.”

“Explains what Dad?”

“Those twenty odd Nuns, standing over there.”

“Those unhappy looking Nuns standing over there?”

“Yep.”

“Those unhappy looking Nuns, standing over there passing each other a selection of gardening equipment that in the correct hands equates to nasty fucking weapons?”

“Yep.”  I stood up.  “Ladies.” I said, and tipped my hat, pooling sick onto my shoes.

Now I don’t know how used Nuns are to being confronted by stark naked men, covered in sick, poo, piddle and blood, but their response was Universal.

They charged.

“Run?” Humph suggested, but I was way ahead of him.

 

 

“YOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

BBBBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTRRRRRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDDD.”

 

     “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

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RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR”

 

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To decorate or not to decorate – that is the question

Mrs Sparkle is guest posting today.

Local Traders they’ve recently published a free eBook entitled ’28 tips on how to decorate’ which is available to download from their homepage, let me tell you how I feel about decorating………..I HATE decorating but I need to decorate my hallway, stairs and landing-a huge undertaking for me as we have lived in our mansion (3 bed semi) for 13 years and in those years I have decorated every room in the house at least twice, my husband however has managed a measly once, the kitchen (easy, no furniture to move and very little actual wall to paint) and a couple of doors (still 6 upstairs to be done, 3 years after they were put in), but the stairwell is a tricky job.

I refuse to balance on a plank of wood on one leg above a drop to certain death down the stairs, this is man’s work!  The last time this area was painted (by my in-laws) was 11 years ago so it’s now desperate, I took the bull by the horns and approached a local ‘painter and decorator’ who happened to be passing, strange but true, he was happy to arrange a date in the following days to come and price up my job so I spent some hard earned cash on those overpriced tester pots so I would be prepared. Two week’s have past and P & D man still has not appeared so every night I trudge up the stairs with the random splodges of tester paint slapped on my wall looking even worse than before.

“Don’t worry” says hubby, “we will do it ourselves……….together”, not music to my ears, “OK”, I say “but you can do the balancing bit” (he’s got life insurance).  Three more days of the splodges go by and hubby comes in from work with the exciting news that he’s found a new P & D to come and price up, he’s coming in the morning……..still waiting, so, unless one of the ’28 tips’ is ‘get someone in to paint your hallway, stairs and landing, who turns up when they say they’re going to, does the job etc etc’, I think I’ll give it a miss and get used to the splodges!.

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Gaining an Insight into the Views of Foster Carers

Gaining an Insight into the Views of Foster Carers

At amodernmilitarymother, we care passionately about children and families. And although we often complain about the chores of everyday life, i think we all forget how lucky we are to have families, whether they are serving abroad, living in a different City, or possibly in different relationships. The fact is, with a bit of effort, we can see our families regularly.

Sometimes, when i come across a news article or a story, it makes me stop and think for a minute. This happened recently when looking at some information regarding fostering. It made me think – how does it feel to be a child that’s fostered? and what an incredible job Foster carers actually do – mainly un-thanked; often unappreciated; but without doubt the backbone of the care system.

I found this recent infographic from Fostering Solutions (Annual Consultation Survey), which i think is nice to share, so that you can understand how Foster Carers actually feel about the role they perform. We certainly salute you.

Feel free to share this infographic, explaining how foster carers feel about their role?

Foster Carer viewpoints 2012 – An infographic by the team at Fostering Solutions

I am text block. click the edit button to change this text.

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MAKE CHILDCARE 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE

MAKE CHILDCARE 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE

 

#makechildcare100percenttaxdeductible

Based in Wiltshire, UK Parent Blogger, Clare Macnaughton, A Modern Military Mother vows to form an army of parents who support the notion that childcare is 100% tax deductible

I am UK parent blogger, Clare Macnaughton, A Modern Military Mother, and I am trying to raise an army of working parents to create change for good – it’s time for action not words. This is in the best interests of British people.

Please sign the e-petition:

Make Childcare 100% tax deductible

The petition expires at 09:01 on the 30th July and needs over 100,000 signatures. If you are a working tax paying parent then this petition is in your interest. If you want to have children and continue to work in the future then this petition is in your interest.

By investing your time in this supporting this petition you are investing in your future.

Very few jobs are flexible enough to allow parents to only work to the extent they get tax relief, and therefore, working parents are paying out of post tax income for something, which is needed in order to work. Childcare costs are incurred wholly, necessarily, and exclusively, for the purposes of jobs. Companies get deductions for expenses incurred wholly, necessarily and exclusively for the purposes of their trade, individuals (including self employed ones) do for expenses incurred wholly and necessarily for the purposes of their trade. In any case, we can’t earn income and therefore pay tax on that income without childcare, so why isn’t it deductible?

Sign the petition – spread the word and join the parent army.

Make Childcare 100% tax deductible

For more information:

Clare Macnaughton

E:clare@maccom.co.uk

T: @amodmilitarymum

M: 07885 194188

ClareMacnaughton.com

AModernMilitaryMother.com

About Clare Macnaughton

Since the advent of my blog, A Modern Military Mother.com in May 2013 I wanted to see how it could help me establish myself as truly independent writer, journalist and broadcaster. As I weaved my through the blogosphere, the opportunity became about developing a brand and looking at how the digital landscape could provide me the freedom to write and say what I wanted, how I wanted (within a legal infrastructure). The digital world provided tools for me to shape my ideas and from the outset and to this day, my blog is the foundation that underpins how this journey is evolving. From the blog I have fostered fabulous commercial partnerships with brands and media.

I have a weekly column in Salisbury Journal. I have written for Prima magazine and also been commissioned by The Sun – although the piece was not published. I have a regular column in Wiltshire Life. I was a columnist for RAF News and I also wrote for the website In The Powder Room. For two years I was a Toys R Us Toyologist, which led to the birth of my You Tube channel

Through the blog I worked on the UK military press relations for the distribution company Dogwoof on the Oscar nominated film Restrepo and was fortunate enough to interview both Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger and the soldiers that served on the outpost. I then decided that I wanted to make a TV show so I made AMMMTV the pilot episode: Pilot TV show – AMMMTV and now I am in the throes of starting a production company.

On the back of the blog – I self-published a paperback book and a kindle book of blog post compilations.

A Modern Military Mother – Tales from the Domestic Frontline – Paperback

A Modern Military Mother – Tales from the Domestic Frontline – KINDLE

I am completing the production of an audio book and also re-publishing an improved 2nd edition. This is available on amazon worldwide and my local Budgen’s supermarket. My plan for the next edition is to develop an app.

I have done many media interviews here’s a few:

BBC Breakfast – BFBS – BBC Wiltshire – BBC Wiltshire again – BBC London

I was one of three English journalists for the solo non-stop yacht race – the Vendee Globe. I am now looking at the next stages and I was explaining the plans for the future to a techie and he said “I see so really you want to be the UK’s Oprah Winfrey” and he’s right in a way because I want to manage multiple platforms that spin off from the blog – I would like to develop different retail ranges, write more books – hard copy, kindle and audio but also develop apps, create a production company to make my own TV shows to be broadcast on my own IPTV channel. We are also about refresh the brand For me, blogging is about looking at the world and saying where can I go from here, what do I want to do and how do I make that happen. To me blogging is freedom.” Said Clare Macnaughton

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Small Talk: Simple ways to boost your child’s speech and language skills from birth

New book available on Amazon:

Small Talk: Simple ways to boost your child’s speech and language skills from birth

By Nicola Lathey and Tracey Blake

Co-author, Tracey Blake, explains how the book came about and why talking to your baby from birth is so important…

What prompted you to write Small Talk?

When my friend and co-author Nicola, an amazing speech therapist, told me she’d had a ‘conversation’ with my daughter Minnie when she was just 10 weeks old, I got really interested in how babies learnt to communicate. I went to Waterstones to buy a book about it to find out more but there wasn’t one, so I persuaded Nicola that we should write one as it was such an obvious gap in the parenting market.

How does the book work?

It’s a comprehensive guide for parents about how children, aged 0 – 4, learn to communicate and speak. We cover all the phases of language development, what should happen when and what to do if you think your child isn’t hitting their milestones. It’s also full of games, tips and tricks so you can have fun with your child as you encourage them along their way to becoming talkative toddlers. Plus we cover common concerns like glue ear, stammering, selective mutism, pronunciation problems and how weaning affects speech.

Why do you feel it’s so important for children to learn to communicate well from an early age?

First of all, the earlier your child can communicate to you that they are hot, thirsty or hungry, the happier and less frustrated they will be. And it’s such a relief as a parent that you don’t have to second guess everything. Developing language skills enables them to socialise – interacting with adults as well as playing with other children – and is a stepping stone to life-long learning. Studies have shown that the better your child can communicate at the age of two, the better their maths and literacy skills will be when they begin school at five. Good communication skills are the key to raising a calm, confident and chatty child. And who doesn’t want one of those?!

For more information visit Tracey’s website at www.smalltalktime.com where there are profiles of the authors and a bit more information about th book.

Tracey also writes the baby blog on the Mail Online – http://blakesmalltalkblog.dailymail.co.uk/

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