There is nothing better than last nights kebab for breakfast. Or lunch.

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Posted by Me - - 6 comments

I was flitting around the nets news pages this week looking for interesting stuff to 'tweet' to our readers when I came across a feature published by The Sun newspaper looking at totally weird kids Christmas gifts and decided I had to check them out first and then share them with you as the third post of my new blog!

Earl the
Dead Cat! The Sun states 'THIS pet cat's not resting, it's dead. According to manufacturers, Earl is the purrfect pet for kids, as he doesn't scratch or bite, but stuffed toy Earl isn't ex-CAT-ly full of life'.
LMHRO! I think its quite novelty! I'm not sure where you buy this particular 'Earl' from, however I did find some similar (but better!) products at
Roadkill Toys which include 'Twitch' - the Raccoon that didn't quite make it to the other side, 'Grind' the Rabbit that fell into the tread of a 16 wheeler, 'Splodge' the hedgehog that had bad timing on the race track and pop the weasel who wondered onto the wrong side of the track. The best thing is, each 'toy' comes with its own toe tag, coffin, body bag, or death certificate! (Obviously these toys are manufactured more towards the adult toy enthusiast!) I think they are brilliant!!

The next toy in our list, The Sun asked 'SIMPLY the breast, or too much too young?'. They were referring to Bebe Gloton - the breast feeding doll. I personally remember my first interactive doll - it 'peed' itself. I think I had to pour water in its mouth or something? All I remember is that I loved it and my grandma hated it... Jesus knows what she would have said if I pulled up my special little breast feeding vest to reveal my bare 7 year old chest and proceed to breast feed my baby doll in front of strange men on the bus or the park!!! Yeah ok, I appreciate all the 'making breast feeding acceptable' messages and pushing on the fact that it is completely natural and normal - but really there is no need! Breast feeding is completely natural and normal for a mum with a new born baby, but a child...erm... NOPE!

When I saw the ima
ge of this top which is next on the list, I giggled to myself. Ok, yeah it looked shocking with the 'NIPPLE tassles for nippers?' headline in the newspaper, but as I read on, I recognised the name Suzi Warren as someone who designs absolutely fantastic stuff... in fact, one of my fave websites to be honest. I emailed Suzi after I'd spotted it asking if it really was one of her designs, (I mean, you never believe everything you read in the newspapers right!) she came back with the response "It was £16 but as the only people who bought it were journalists wanting to write about how terrible it is that parents buy it, I've put the price up to £516 and now it's Art" (and commented "Well Spotted!!!") I replied saying that although I could understand where they were coming from, my daughter (8) would love one for the simple fact that it's got tassles! and also that she should do them for adults!!!" So there you have it, but it proves that 'not so good' publicity can also be positive as I would urge anyone reading this to visit the site of Twisted Twee and check out both the 'Baby Things' and 'Grown Up Things' shopping sections, because I can guarantee that you will LOVE every product you find on there... without a nipple tassle in sight!

Which ta
kes me to the next.... and with a feature line of 'MUMS and dads want their kids to climb the career ladder, not slide down a pole'- yes you got it, we are talking about the 'Pole Dance Doll'! This doll seemingly has a pole, a disco ball, it rotates and blinks its eyes and it is designed for tots. Without spending too much time searching the net, I couldn't find the manufacturer or find whether it is in fact real (All the websites mentioning this doll show this exact same dodgy image). Anyways, even if it is or was real, I doubt sales shot through the roof!

And for the next... The Kaba Kick is a junior version of Russian roulette. With this game, children play with a gun pointed to their own head. They pull the trigger and if it doesn't fire - they score a point. If it does, a pair of pink feet pop out and duff them in the temple! Yeah, harmless enough (obviously being the fact it works with pink feet and not bullets), but I mean, what bright spark decided to introduce this game to kids? Well actually, a few seconds on the net gave me info that a company called Takura last manufactured this toy in 1992 so I don't think it's about anymore... *speechless* !!!

I'm not going to cover all ten of the products featured in the newspaper article - you can read it for yourself here - So I'll make this next joyful toy for your kids to play with on Christmas day the last... The Playmobil Security Checkpoint. The
Sun pointed it out as a weird or worst toy stating NOT a secure winner... we'd prefer a cavity search to playing 'airport security' with kids on Christmas Day.
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Posted by Me - - 26 comments

I was contacted today by a BBC radio station asking if they could interview me as part of a morning breakfast show feature. Gutted! Obviously not about the fact I had been asked, but because I have lost my bloomin voice.

I can't complain too much because I did lose it by completely enjoying myself on my birthday fancy dress celebrations in Blackpool, which was a solid 12 hours of fun and consisted of rather a lot of karaoke singing!
(Flash backs of me dressed as Bat Girl dueting with Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage doing Black Eyed Peas singing My Humps My Humps My Lovely Lady Lumps keeps haunting me! - I am sure my children would have been proud had they seen me... NOT!)


Anyway... back to the interview.
It was to be about Pink Stinks.
For those of you that haven't seen Pink Stinks in the news, it is a campaign that has been set up by two mothers, twins Abbie and Emma Moore who have called for the boycott of a major toy seller (Early Learning Centre) in protest at the "pinkification" of girls' Christmas presents. They say little girls are being led up ‘pink alleys’ with products such as princess dresses and pink fairy wings which will ultimately channel them into “pretty, pretty jobs” and hold them back from reaching their full potential”. They also bad-mouth shops such as ELC for having choices of product by 'gender' when shopping on their website.

They say their aim is to:
a/ Inspire, motivate and enthuse girls about the possibilities and opportunities open to them
b/ Improve girls’ self esteem and confidence, raise their ambitions and ultimately improve their life chances
c/ To challenge the 'culture of pink' which is based on beauty over brains and to provide an alternative

I gruffly muffled to the radio station that because I couldn't speak I would email them my thoughts and although I was a little disappointed I couldn't be part of this one, I was very happy when they asked if I would be part of future parenting features.
So once I'd started thinking about these thoughts, I thought I might aswell use them as the second post in my new blog!

Firstly, can I just go back to the campaigners 'aims' mentioned above. I can't see how pink toys in shops can cause hindrance to 'a' and 'b'. These are fantastic aims, but between teachers and parents, I am sure we can find better ways of reaching these goals.

As for 'c' - what are they going to do - invent a new colour?!

Some girls like pink - so do some boys! Some girls play with trains - some boys play with dolls.
Parents know what their own children like.
So as for the Early Learning Center being slated for having a choice between 'girls' and 'boys' toys when shopping online - isn't that to make it easier for the parents who are shopping, who may I add all know what their own children like? (If your boy wants a 'girls' toy, go to the 'girls' isle, vice versa) If everything was just dumped together shopping would be chaos. Since day dot, there has always been a distinguished difference between girls and boys toys and how they each play during role play.

I don't completely disagree with the campaign at all, I do agree with the campaigns views on low self esteem being on the high due to the media’s obsession with stick-thin models, footballers’ wives, and overtly sexualised pop stars, but again, all this effort could be put into raising awareness of healthy eating & exercise - and promoting good positive parenting to get the correct messages to our children.

Isn't it mums, post pregnancy with excess baby weight who get narked off with these skinny celebs and feel down in the dumps about their weight.. not the children?
If children are getting these messages, they might possibly be coming from their own parents.

So what do these mums not like exactly?
The colour Pink?
Skinny Models?
Toy Shops?
If you visit their website, the message is that garbled I don't think even they know them selves what their actual message is meant to be http://www.pinkstinks.co.uk/

As for saying shop doors are oozing with 'girly pinkness', there are lots of companies out there offering alternative clothing starting from a very young age - www.sophie4sophie.com is one that springs to mind with some really funky designs and also www.wheniwasakid.co.uk for fantastic toys you may find that you played with as a child - If you dont want the pink stuff from ELC - its simple - shop elsewhere... the world isn't under complete pink attack.

In one interview, these two mum campaigners stated "It began because I've got two daughters and Abi has two sons so we started noticing the differences between our houses, It's shocking, mine is full of pink stuff and Abi's is full of dinosaurs."

I say: Erm... yes... thats cause you have two girls and your sister has two boys

They also stated "It's not natural and it wasn't like this when we were growing up in the 1970s".

I say: Erm... yes... times do change darling! In the 70's Microwave ovens and VCR's had only just become available, lets not wish ourselves back there hey?!

So anyway, I went onto the Early Learning Centre's website to see what all the fuss was about.
I typed 'girl' in the gender search and the first item I came across was a Fairyland Bluebell Boot.... you got it... in the colour... Yellow actually! The next was a Country Kitchen in.... cream, and then there were a few pink items, but there was a Light & Sounds retro robot - not typically a girls toy, but certainly in the girls section.
Their search facility is fantastic... you can refine search not only by gender but by price, age and learning skills.

So my opinion on this campaign ... I personally think there is more to worry about these days - why not put all this effort into something more important such as anti-bullying.

Oh and here is Wikipedia's article on the colour Pink! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink

Are you 'for' or 'against' Pink Stinks? Click the poll to the right of this page and let us know anonymously!

(Some of the quotes from this blog were extracted from the Telegraph & Sky News - online)
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Posted by Me - - 5 comments

(the la la la la was sarcastic, very!)

I love Christmas, i really do, but I just don't seem to have time to fit the preparation into my busy schedule this year! Aaarrgggghhh.

Can we postpone it just for a few weeks pretty please?!

It only really hit me yesterday that it's just around the corner, when we watched 'The Santa Claus 2' movie last night. (we = me and my hubby when the kids were in bed... haha tight gits!)

This year our work doo is on the Wednesday, so work officially finishes on the Tuesday & as far as 'Xmas prep' goes, that's Wednesday out of the equation and as for Thursday, well, the day after a works doo could do to be spent on the sofa in my PJ's cuddling a brew, but Thursday is Christmas eve. Bo***cks!!!!!!!!!

So basically... in my reckoning, I have three whole weeks to organise Xmas. Oh and it's deadline. It's always deadline. I have one of our Home & Lifestyle magazines to get out like now and the website to update, all before xmas. Double Bo***cks!!!!!!!

For me, this means solid working with some overtime too and not a chance of a day off! Not even an hour! With a hubby away all week, two kids with snooker practice, table tennis practice and brownies and not ONE Xmas present or decoration in sight. Oh and did I mention we are in the middle of a very draughty conservatory extension (thank god for my Moccis http://www.moccis.co.uk/about-moccis) and this weeks joy is no water in the kitchen!

Anyway.. back to Xmas...

Tomorrow I am going to buy my Cards, I will write them. (yes that was a fullstop!)
Unless I employ some kind of Mrs Santa Claus to organise Xmas for me, I will do my usual and leave everything until last minute. My plan to drive around dropping my Xmas cards off will start to officially crumble when it is just a few days before xmas, then it will be too late for the post, and beside, I don't own an address book anyway... I will put them in a box thinking 'they can be used next year'. Next year I will throw them out, just like I did with last years!

Then I will have to use Facebook for Xmas wishes!! Amanda-Mick Ohara - What's on your mind: "Happy Christmas, your cards are in my kitchen drawer.. but I love you"!

I really am crap! Is anyone else the same? Or do I have some kind of character flaw when it comes to organisation at this time of year?!

I think I should have been born a man (a-man-da!). Some of my friends have all their shopping done in July (Isn't that a bit sad??) Only blokes are meant to leave all their shopping till Xmas eve. This year I will probably still fail on the Xmas card thing (So I'll use this opportunity to send my wishes now!.. and for those of you who aren't reading this, I'll do the Facebook thing!!) BUT I am not going to be a hungover Christmas eve stressed shopper like last year, and the year before that, and the year before that... I am going to shop online... tomorrow!!! (After I have written my cards!)

And (yes it gets worse) wrapping is usually done some time after midnight on the 24th... (obviously I'm not talking November!)

I've decided... this year... there is going to be change... a new organised me! (I'll keep you posted!)

Anthea Turner kindly offered our readers 8 tips for a stress free Christmas on page 7 of our latest edition. Click the following link, and then click the page to zoom in and read it http://issuu.com/flyingstart/docs/flyingstart26binder (and whilst you are there, take a look on the opposite page for help rockin' your bump this xmas!)

Anyway, here is my response... (I'm sure Anthea won't be reading this lol!)

1. Home made decorations???? My children make like 3 each, and when they eventually get them home in their school bags, they are either covered in yogurt or its February!
2. Don't you worry... I know why mums go to Iceland!
3. Don't be stupid!
4. AAARRRRGGGGHHHHH
5. So Im not the only one then??
6. Are you seriously taking the Michael!!!
7. Ok so there was one reason for us publishing this, all for a good cause!!!!
8. You haven't seen one of my Sunday dinners love!!!

In fact, talking of Iceland... we actually went to Aldi yesterday and purchased a rather large frozen Turkey for just eight whole English pounds! A bargain compared to the £40 I paid the butcher last year (yes, you got it, on Christmas eve!!)
So I suppose this change has started already!

If you need some ideas for kids gifts, take a look at pages 12-21 for some fantastic ideas. http://issuu.com/flyingstart/docs/flyingstart26binder

And here is something really random to finish http://www.weebls-stuff.com/wab/pastry/
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Posted by Me - - 5 comments

Ok, so I have been kind of lazy, too busy and all the rest of it, and a little behind the times... rather than write my own blog I have just enjoyed reading everyone elses!
So I thought, about time you got with it girl! And here I am.... I got a blog! I don't quite know what I'll use it for yet, probably just babble, but what I will tell you about is all the fab stuff (products & goodies) we get sent to feature in Flying Start Mag :)
So.... what ya waitin for? click the link to follow me :)
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