Mamma Fairy

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Many people around the world are finding themselves struggling to get back into their daily routine of working out after the lockdown restrictions from COVID are being lifted. Social media has lots of memes about the “covid-10” or “covid-stone” however as we tentatively emerge from restrictions there is never a better time to look after yourself and work on your health and fitness.  But when it comes down to it, why put that amount of pressure on yourself to handle all alone?

Finding Fitness After Lockdown

In a world where we have access to almost anything that we want or need, it just makes sense to reach out and find a local personal trainer that can help you shed the pounds. Using home weights such as a dumbell set is also a popular option for many of our customers. Weights set are very versatile can do pretty much whole body exercise, plus saves time and money going back to the gym.

From a 5-pound weight loss goal to a 40-pound weight loss goal, there are personal trainers that specialise in helping you shed the weight quickly and in a healthy manner as well. For me, its not just about the weight, its the physical and mental health considerations that are equally as good. Some really simple first steps that have worked for me include switching my morning coffee to a healthier alternative. Given the current global situation immune boosting teas such as mushroom tea have become really popular.

If you’re on the fence about whether or not a personal trainer is right for you, here are some great benefits to consider.

It is possible to get into the best shape of your life with the help of a personal trainer. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll reach your fitness goals. Best of all you just never know what unintended benefits which might arise for example you might even decide yourself to use your new found love of fitness to train others. There are lots of great courses on  how to become a personal trainer to enable you to reach your goal.

You don’t necessarily have to be a personal trainer to enter the fitness industry, there are many other avenues such as yoga, Pilates, exercise to music just to name a few. Once you have completed your yoga teacher training and your fully qualified, the world is your oyster. You can work online, run classes and if there are any future lockdowns, you will be able to teach from the comfort of your own home.

• Personal Trainers know the best workouts that are effective

This is literally their jobs. They know what it takes to get your body toned and the weight to start falling off. In fact, using a personal trainer will not only get you there faster, but it will help you find a workout and a rhythm that works for your body as well. Their programmes can be tailored to meet your specific needs and fitness or health goals.

• Using a personal trainer helps you not have to think

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What a huge perk! Having someone set up your workout, tell you what to eat, and basically give you the blueprint for success sounds pretty amazing, right? This is what a personal trainer can do! Not only can they help guide you and find ways to get on track easily but they’ll be with you during the journey in case you have further questions or need assistance as well. In terms of costs of a personal trainer that can vary from on average £30 – £60 per hour.  You are paying for their dedicated expertise, one on one service and a programme tailored to your needs. Money well spent in my view. I utilised the service of a personal trainer prior to my wedding a number of years back and I can honestly say it was the best money I spent. I still to this day use the tips and learnings from those sessions and apply them to my own routines now.

If you’re ready to drop the weight and find yourself getting into a good plan for fitness, enlist the help of a personal trainer now. There has never been a better time to shed the COVID-19 pounds and start working out with a personal trainer today! And who know maybe even finding love after lockdown could be on the cards too for some!

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When you choose a dress for a baby shower, it’s best to go online and scrutinize the selections. Give yourself time to contemplate what you want to wear and filter the dresses by price and bestsellers on the site. 

How about a Maxi Empire Tie-Waist Baby Shower Dress?

Your guests will compliment you on your sense of style, as you can find a number of designs that are affordably priced, all which look both complementary and fashionable. For example, the brand, Gianna features a maxi empire tie waist sensation – a baby shower dress with V-neck design that is only about $25.00. It fits the pregnant silhouette well and you can choose from a host of colors.

Now is also the time to “announce” the gender of your baby by choosing a dress in pink or blue. If you’re hosting an evening fete or baby shower, you might like a dress, maxi-style, that has long sleeves and a strapless design.

Choosing a Style for a Daytime Shower

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If you want to convey a more casual look for a weekend or daytime shower, you might opt for a fitted maternity midi dress that features a ruffled neck. Wear it with a pair of sneakers so you can enjoy the day’s planned activities. 

Maybe you would prefer a more body-fitting design. If so, you might like a maternity ruched bodycon dress that features a scoop neck. If you’d like a more flowy design, the brand, Tatiana offers a long-sleeved maternity dress that features an empire waist.

Perhaps you’d prefer to go all-out casual. If so, think about pairing a shorter maternity dress with side-slits and black leggings. That way, you can choose from any color under the rainbow. For an evening shower, the brand, Aria, features a maxi dress with a ruched design.

When you look online, you’ll feel the joy of upcoming motherhood, as you can celebrate your pregnancy by wearing a chic and lovely maternity creation. After all, you’re the center of the party, so you’ll want a dress that expresses both your personality and style.

When selecting baby shower attire, you need to first consider the season of the party, whether it’s a more formal or casual event, as well who will be attending. For example, you may want to include your partner in the event or make it a celebration where you only invite your closest women friends.

Making a Selection for a Dress

If you’re planning an evening party, you want to gussy up your look with heels and a stylish do. Or, if you’re hosting a casual shower, you may wish to wear a baby shower dress–midi style–that you can wear with flats. 

Along with making a party checklist for buying decorations, foods, and drinks, you’ll also need to develop a checklist that covers the general tone of the celebration. Keep this in mind as you’re making your selection.

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Learning how to appreciate the things you’re given, be it a gift or food on your table, can motivate children to learn to be grateful. Building respect and an awareness to be thankful will motivate and inspire children to be better behaved, improving positive attitudes and levels of respect towards friends and adults.

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This guide from this independent boys school in London will show the ways of how to explore gratitude for your child and how to enforce these attitudes at home.

Teaching your child manners

Your pleases and thank yous didn’t just appear in your vocabulary, your parents would have made sure you were saying them on a regular basis, which is why you should also do the same for your child.

Each time your child receives a present, or asks for something to be done for them, they should be asking politely. And when they do say thank you, or please, or apologise, tell them how proud you are of saying it. They’ll remember those moments and be more encouraged in the future.

Invoke kindness

In the home, make sure you yourself are being kind and respectful to your children, potential partner, friends and members of the family. Your child will remember these moments so it’s important to follow the same recommendations you provide them with as well.

This can be done by giving compliments to your child and others, telling them about how brave and proud they are after completing something they were afraid of, and rewarding your children.

Ask them what they are grateful for

Give your child the challenge of thinking of one thing each day they are grateful for, or one thing on that day that they really enjoyed and why. Ask them to discuss it around the table at dinner time and use it as a conversation topic. Alternatively, ask them 3 things they enjoyed about their day before bedtime, and 3 things they’re excited for tomorrow.

These will make your child feel more positive, excited and happy overall as they learn to express gratitude around them with friends and family.

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Writing and reading are core parts of a child’s learning. It’s used not just for English assignments but also for essay writing, comprehension exercises and many more skills in their future education and in careers.

I’ve teamed up with a senior school in Milton Keynes to show you ways to practice creative writing with your child at home.

Use the seven senses

A lot of teachers, when giving children a creative writing exercise, start with encouraging the class to use a few of the seven senses in their writing to give them a head start. Ask your child to imagine themselves in another country or planet to begin with. They may have more creativity and motivation to write a short story.

Get them to write about their favourite things

Does your child have a hobby, favourite TV programme or other interest that is a huge part of their life? Asking them to write about things they’re familiar with and enjoy gives them a huge motivation to write their thoughts down on paper.

Give them a set of questions that they could answer for you, but keep them open-ended. For example: 

• How do you feel when you are doing their favourite activity?
• What is your favourite part about the activity? 
• What do you want to learn more about?
  

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These can be added to their writing practice or if they have an assignment from school to write about something they enjoy.

Get the right tools

Before you start writing, gather the tools you need, such as a pad of paper or a journal and pencils or pens. To make this activity even more special, consider investing in writing tools that will last a long time. Consider getting high-quality engraved pens dedicated to journaling. Although it may be unnecessary, it helps make your child’s introduction to literature special and memorable. Writing can be a fun bonding moment for both you and your child.

Use a form

There are a number of forms you can download and print that will give your child a way to fill in the blanks before they start writing full sentences. They often include sections about the main feelings of a character, if they hear or smell anything in the distance, where they are located, what the area looks like and more.

These can then be used to piece together what your child will eventually put into a short story. Use these forms to continually repeat the process until they become comfortable with writing by themselves. 

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Want to know the best ways to teach your child critical thinking skills? This guide from this independent nursery in Birmingham provides the best advice for parents. 

Integrate with play time

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When playing with your children, even actions that seem simple to adults will impact your child. For example, if they drop something or break a toy, allow them to think about how that happened and if it can be rectified. More often than not they go back to that toy, pick it up and interact with it again and again until they eventually figure it out for themselves.

This gives them the opportunity to think about the next steps they want to take and what they think will happen.

Provide open-ended options

Avoid yes or no questions, give them the space to slowly figure things out for themselves. Instead of answering each question for your child straight away as they ask them, why not ask them what they’re thinking? They may already have the answer or a part of the answer in their mind already but they’re just afraid to share. Encouraging open-ended conversations will boost both your child’s critical thinking and confidence skills.

Give your child time

A lot of the process is waiting and seeing what your child wants to do next. For example, if they’re struggling with some homework, ask them to think about each element of the task separately and tackle it step by step.

Often a good measure is by timing how long each task is completed, or waiting 2 minutes to let your child figure out the solution by themselves. After that time, ask if you would like to help them or provide a clue to what’s required of them. This process will engage their core thinking skills that they can use in day-to-day activities and in their school work.

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Having arts and crafts time with your children will provide them with a lot of benefits, including boosting their motor skills, allowing them to be inquisitive and improving their mood, among others.

I’ve teamed up with this senior school in the West Midlands to provide you with the biggest benefits to arts and crafts for your child.

Creativity Skills

Your child is allowed to play with glue, cardboard, newspaper, glitter and maybe things like slime, play dough and more. All of these have many different smells and textures that will activate your child’s sensory abilities and interests. 

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They’re able to be fully creative in a safe space where they can play and create whatever they want to. Allowing your child to be creative increases their confidence, self-esteem and social skills. They’re more likely to be open, honest and comfortable speaking to their friends, teachers and parents if they’re allowed to explore things like these for themselves.

Improves Motor Skills

Creating things with clay, gluing parts to a wooden statue, or painting on a canvas – all of these are examples of your child testing their fine motor skills by using their hands and fingers with their project. 

These skills are the cornerstone of your child being able to work independently without assistance, promotes cognitive and speech development and boosts confidence over time.

Gives them a break from studies

Arts and crafts activities in both school and at home gives your child a focus away from their main school or nursery tasks while they’re still gaining new skills. It makes them feel more excited for time spent away from things they may be struggling with at school or it can be seen as a reward for hard work completed.

This exercise can be a way of improving ways to combat your child’s stress management and how to focus within a classroom with a reward-based system.

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You and your family are likely busy with work and school most days. While it’s important to work hard, it’s also wise to make time for some fun and to be silly with your loved ones.

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You may be short on ideas or wondering what you can do as a group that will be enjoyable. The following suggestions will provide you with a list of possibilities and may spark you to think of additional options as well. No matter what you choose to do as a group, make sure you’re fully present during the activity and enjoying your quality time with your family.

Take A Trip

One fun family activity idea for what you can do as a group is to travel to a new destination. Pack up and go someplace exciting that you can explore and have some time away from your daily responsibilities. Schedule fun excursions and outings such as hiking or checking out a NZ rugby match that may be going on in the area. Travelling with your family is a great way to see the world and grow a deeper bond with the people you care about the most.

Spend A Day at the Beach

Visiting a beach is always a good option when you’re looking for things to do with your family members. Choose a day when the weather is pleasant and pack up some toys and beach gear and pick a spot in the sand where you can relax and enjoy a day in the sun. Consider grilling out nearby for lunch and participating in a variety of water sports that may be available. Have fun but also be sure to stay safe and wear a lot of sun protection.

Have A Picnic

When you have a free day then consider having a picnic with your family. It’s a fun activity that will put a smile on all your faces. Pack some delicious food and drinks and bring a few outdoor games and sports with you and enjoy eating lunch by the water or on some cool grass. Put on some music and take pleasure in being outside and spending some uninterrupted time as a group.

Plan A Staycation

Sometimes it’s fun to just stay right where you are and be a tourist in your own city or location. Another fun family activity idea to do as a group is to plan a staycation. Check out local sights and restaurants and enjoy the fact that you don’t have to get on a plane and travel far away to have a nice time. You can rent a hotel for a few nights or stay right in the comfort of your own home if you choose.  

Go to the Playground

Exercise is an excellent way to boost your moods and teach your kids how to take good care of their health. Therefore, consider going to the playground and burning energy running around at the park and climbing on the toys. It’ll be fun to explore a new playground and enjoy the nice weather with your family.

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