August 2016

Its so hard to believe it is nearly time for the kids to go back to school. If any of you are like me and leave everything to the last minute hopefully this post will help you get the last few bits and pieces sorted!

The basics

I really think the key with school uniforms is good quality basics.  When you think about it, these clothes are in almost daily use and will no doubt take plenty of hard wearing. The M&S trousers come with a range of different options including adjustable wait, crease-resistant and with the stormwear technology which helps to repeal the dirt and mud stains as well as keeping dry in the rain.  They come in a range of colours and combinations of the above options.  For example see  here.  Similarly  with the skirts. They also come with the stormwear technology, adjustable waistband and variants of the different types of pleats.  Link here.

Whether its shirts or polos you are after M&S have a great unisex range in a wide range of sizes – see here for the range of non-iron shirts!! I’m all about non-iron!! Again all the M&S school stock come in a range of colours.

Coats

While most definitely a basic, this deserves a whole category to itself.  My mother always said, a good coat was crucial and I follow that advice with my own boys.  I have picked out my own favourites below.  Most of the coats come with Stormwear to keep the rain out and to repeal the mud and dirt.  Links for each are underneath. Starting from left to right.

1. Padded Jacket – see here
2. Pink coat – see here
3. Black padded coat (comes in other colours) – see here
4.  Cars print jacket  – see here (this one is currently reduced to €15 for €24, we have this one, its fab, go a size up as its quite small fitting.)

School bags

See opposite for some of my own picks. I attended the M&S press day back in June and as soon as I saw the Spiderman backpack I knew it would be a big hit in our house. The big man is superhero mad.  There are other avengers ones in the range.  For the whole range see here.  The sale is currently on and some of the Frozen ones are on sale, good value reduced from €19 to €11.

Hope this post is of some help for those last minutes bits.

Note: This post in in collaboration with Shopping Links and  M&S.

Well…. this month marks the 1 year anniversary of The Mamma Fairy Blog. Never in a million years did I think id still be here a year later and enjoying it as much if not more than the first few weeks. This blog started on maternity leave with my second and grew from there.  I never believed anybody would really be interested in my random ramblings……I have learned so much from this journey, this time last year I had never heard of google analytics or SEO while im most certainly not an expert, I have learned a huge amount about it and the online world. Ill admit I was a pretty poor photographer to begin with but blogging has really helped this.  I didn’t even realise you could purchase   backdrops for your flat lays! How cool is that!  Certainly adds that extra bit of professionalism.

The last few days have been full of great news for The Mamma Fairy Blog.  I’m delighted to share that my little blog has been chosen as one of the Top 100 Mommy Bloggers of 2016 by The Baby Spot Magazine.  This is a huge honour. The Baby Spot is a highly regarded Canadian based worldwide online parenting magazine and to be recognised firstly by such a respected publication and along side some great names is really so overwhelming.

Secondly and hot off the press is the news that The Mamma Fairy blog has been short listed in The Parenting Blog category for the Littlewoods Ireland Blog Awards. Again to be named alongside blogs that I would have followed and read before my own blogging journey is really exciting.  I never set out to earn accolades as a blogger however to be recognised is so flattering.  Thanks to everybody who reads and follows the blog, it is very much appreciated.

To finish I thought id mention some of my own person highlights over the last year. Without doubt meeting and forming new friendships has been my highlight. I have been fortunate enough to attend a number of events over the last year where I  can honestly say I could not have been made feel more welcome.  One particular event stands out and thats the Netflix London lunch. I had the fear big time heading off to London with two fellow bloggers I had never met.  My fears were totally unfounded – Kellie of My Little Babog and Sinead of Bumbles of Rice were so nice and welcoming and I thoroughly enjoyed my time.

Im going to enjoy a nice cold glass of white wine to celebrate the year the was.  Here’s to another blogging year. Again a huge thanks to everybody who reads the blog and do keep any feedback or suggestions coming.

Take Care

~Mamma F

The summer holidays are heading into the last few weeks and if you’ve managed to keep boredom at bay so far, you deserve a medal! If you’ve heard rumblings or you’re looking for new ideas, here are a few brilliant buys to keep the kids happy for the last few weeks.

Embracing Pokemon Go

If you’ve got older kids, the likelihood is that they’re tearing around searching for Pokemon. The new version of the retro classic has captivated kids all over the world. The good news is that there’s some great merchandise around. If you’re embracing the trend as a family, search online for Pokemon Go gear. You’ll find everything from caps to backpacks.

(Image source www.pokemongo.com)

Getting out and about

It’s been a mixed summer so far in terms of the weather. But we’ve been lucky to enjoy a few days of sunshine and some warm evenings. The summer holidays offer a perfect excuse to get out into the garden and spend time together as a family. The range of outdoor toys is increasing year on year.  Invest in a modular climbing frame, which you can add to in the future. Buy some garden games like cricket, tennis or badminton. Have a look at sandpits and water trays for little ones. Go for aqua slides or water guns for older children, if your kids are like men water play provides hours of entertainment.

Finding Dory

The latest Pixar release has got everybody talking. If you’re a parent, you’ve probably already been pestered to book cinema tickets. If your kids are fans of Finding Nemo and Finding Dory, use this to encourage creativity. You can buy all kinds of crafts and art supplies adorned with their favourite characters. Look out for complete sets if you’re in need of an art cupboard clear out.

Paw Patrol

Paw Patrol is one of the most popular children’s TV programmes at the moment. If it’s a big hit in your home, try and channel your kids’ enthusiasm and create role play scenarios. You can buy fire engines, helicopters, and trucks. Encourage your kids to take on the roles of their favourite characters and have fun as a family. There are also lots of associated games you buy.  The big man got a brillant Paw Patrol board game for his 4th birthday.

Small world toys

Miniatures are big business in the toy industry this year. This type of toy is all about giving children a chance to act out real life scenarios. Small world toys give kids an appreciation of the world around them and encourage them to be imaginative. Playing together can improve their social and communication skills. Popular buys include Lego and miniature Disney Princesses and their pets. The beauty of ranges like Lego is that you can add to your collection over the course of time. There are also themes, which appeal to kids with a broad range of interests. You can buy everything from princesses in castles to mad scientists and dinosaur hunters.

The summer holidays are long (for parents maybe not so much for kids!), and even the most inventive parents may struggle to keep their brood entertained throughout. If you’re looking for inspiration for new toys, games, or treats, look no further. Hopefully, you’ve got weeks of family fun ahead!

I was asked to get involved in a campaign with Calibre Office Furniture  to discuss changes in #boardroometiquette over time. I jumped at the chance. I have been an Accountant for the past 12 years therefore have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of board room behaviour!

The boardroom can be a scary place, many a deal is won and lost there, key decisions, multi million decisions are made there, decisions that can have huge ramifications. I still remember my first ever experience of being in a boardroom. It was 2003, I was in college going into my final year and the Partner in the Accounting firm suggested I come with her for the “experience”. I had and still have huge admiration for this woman, she was the only female partner in a firm with 20 other males. She was the ultimate #girlboss in my eyes.  

This was a time when boardrooms were getting a lot of media attention in the wake of Enron and the introduction of the Sarbanes Oxley Act.  I remember walking into the company offices and the secretary in this particular firm was sitting directly outside the board room in an open plan office of about 100 people smoking!! It just wouldn’t happen now. Even Office design has changed so much over time.  We are seeing staff involvement in the process of designing work spaces, in fact I have seen a marked shift towards the more open plan collaborative spaces.

Female representation

The first thing that struck me that day was the fact the Partner I was there to support was the only female.  The gender diversity agenda is something that is coming to the fore in most organisations now but we still have a long way to go.  Improvement is good and its come a long way since 2003,  According to the Gender Diversity Index, in 2015, women held 17.9% of the board seats on Fortune 1000 companies. As of August 2015, only 2% of S&P 500 companies had all male boards of directors.^[source] This is a huge and welcome improvement from 2005, when only 12% of S&P companies had at least one female director on their board.

Tips

Following the meeting, we walked back to the office and she gave me some advice that 13 years later is still ingrained in my brain. Simple but oh so effective.

• KISS – Keep it Simple, stupid. As she pointed out, the board room generally isn’t the place for minutia, it’s the big picture, the final decision so don’t get bogged down in the detail.
• Fix your chair! I may have laughed at this at the time but I most definitely do this. She told me to always fix your chair especially in a board room and there are lots of taller people (men maybe!!) that to rise up my chair so as not to look like the kid, be on the same level.  I love this advice and to this day always do this.
• Don’t rise to it and never throw the toys of the pram……not much explanation needed here. Cool, calm and measured, if only it was that simple!
• Have empathy for each other, despite differences of opinion, having empathy is so important.  

Thanks Calibre  for the opportunity. Have you any office/ boardroom stories to share? Would love to hear them.

Take Care

~Mamma F

Note: This is a collaborative post