Mamma Fairy

The world feels like a very strange place at the moment. Everything we took as the norm has been turned on its head.  Covid 19 has posed many challenges and at times for people great sadness however with all this change has come some new experiences, new opportunities and inevitably new ways of working.  One of the things that I have noticed as an educator myself is the speed at which the education world has adapted and evolved to meet the changing world. Students now can have ready access to online tutors, online articles, resources, have their work corrected online. For other students that can even take the class when it suits them. It is opening up a whole new world in terms of how we see education.  The historical rigidness of the system appears to be softening.

One such example I have come across is Oneclass.com. I am really impressed with this resource.  They have an extensive library of exam study guides, lecture notes and video tutorials created by top students which you can quickly find on their website. They state their ultimate goal on their website as to “ to deliver study resources that are immediately useful and relevant to any knowledge seeker on our platform”.  This can prove particularly useful for students close to exam times where they are feeling under pressure or stressed about a particular topic. Being able to locate additional reading or guidance can add such a huge amount of value and not to mention the fact that it can do wonders to calm the nerves.

Live streaming 

One of the things that really caught my eye was the live streaming function.  Oneclass tutors are teaching live  for high school, college, and university math and chemistry, 7 days a week. This is a serious impressive product offering.  They have set live stream classes at specific times on their webpage, for example SAT, geometry etc and also the function to book one-on-one help again through their site. I note you can book a slot on line with Janine the tutor at a mutually suitable time, they are generously giving away 100,000 hours of free one-on-one tutoring during the Covid closures. Its is very impressive and a fantastic gesture at a time of stress for students with colleges closed. Previous live streams are also stored on their site if you do wish to revisit them at your leisure.

Its really such a testament to how fast the world is moving and how we are adapting all the time, Oneclass are really at the forefront of this and I can see why it is so popular.

Note: This is a collaborative post

Kahlil Gibran, “You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth”

Its so hard to believe we are another week into this most unusual situation.  I have to say my kids are teaching me what resilience is.  They may be only 7 and 5 but they have impressed me so much with how well they have adapted to this very strange new world.

My youngest was living for his birthday and a big party with his pals. However with it falling during the strictest of lockdown measures meant is was only a family party, despite having spent 3 months building it up. I felt so sad for him. I was silly, he totally embraced it. Loving every minute. For the party and given the most usual of circumstance, the very lovely people at Swizzels  kindly sent us a pretty mega sized bag of their favourite sweets.

Without even thinking my little man asked could we drop sweets to the gardens of his friends and if they were allowed by their parents they could have them. I did shed a tear. I just love his empathy and kindness. You cant teach somebody that it is inherent.

So off we went, him on his scooter and me running to keep up with a bag full of treat bags for his friends. So many of the mammies text me thanking me for giving their kids such a boost. We had done the same at Easter making Easter cards and dropping them to some of our relatives gardens. Its not the same as a hug but its the thought that’s most important.

I just thought it was so lovely and some of the 3kg mixed bag of Swizzzels favourites found some really good homes! Its an ideal size for a party and it contains a good mix of the usual favourites. I’m still very partial to the refreshers!! A throwback to my childhood.

Keep safe everybody….

I have written about this before on the blog. My youngest son due to allergies has had to move to a plant based diet and we decided as a family to all do the same. We are by no means totally strict nor do we fit into categories of vegan or vegetarian but we aim as much as possible to live by these principals for our own health benefits. I thought I would share some insights into how we managed the move to a more plant based diet.

Without doubt the science around this indicates changing the nutritional value of your diet can have benefits from improving your overall health, to living longer as well as being over all better for the environment.

One of the first tips I would say is to understand what exactly is meant by “plant – based diet“, Wikipedia defines it as  is a diet consisting mostly or entirely of foods derived from plants, including vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and fruits, and with few or no animal products.  I describe it for us as a move towards it rather than a strict interpretation of it.  Like most things in life knowledge is power so take the time to do your research and get to grips with what is meat by a plant based diet.

I take a two pronged approach to how I view the foods:

• Whole foods – in other words foods that have little or no processing done to them. Foods that are as close as possible to their original form.
• Plant foods –  As it says – food that is derived from plants. 

The core tenant of the plant based diet is little or no processing of your foods to maintain the nutritional content. If in doubt there are resources available to take for example a vegan test for possible nutrient deficiencies that vegans may encounter if their plant-based diet is off-balance.  Using good quality supplements can play a huge part here.

I cant stress enough how important it is to do your research and nutritional testing can play an important role too helping you determine where you may be lacking in a key nutrient.

Another tip from my experience is to see its a a movement rather than a flick of switch. We are 3 years into this journey and im still “moving” towards plant based, learning as im going.

One thing that helped me a lot was finding my online tribe, there are lots of social media groups and resources where you can ask questions, seek advice and learn from the information shared. A lot of the advice I read at the outset suggested starting with one meal a day and gradually swaping meals that way, which from experience I think this is great advice.

If I could give one overriding piece of advice I think it would be not to loose heart or sweat the small stuff, if you slip up, you crave something not associated with plant based eating – start over. Its a gradual movement and each small change can have a huge impact on our own health and the wider environment.

The birth of your child should be one of the most special days in your life. It is unlikely that you would need any help to remember this time, but you will want to mark the occasion. There are many ways you can celebrate the birth, from whetting the baby’s head to a full naming ceremony. Here we offer a guide to some of the unique ways to celebrate this birth.

Some personalised jewellery 

The point of any item you buy at this special time is to remember the arrival of a new individual into the world. One of the best ways to personalise this is with a fingerprint. The universe provided us with our unique mark on the world, and this mark can be engraved into gold or silver.

Laser engraving can forever capture the newborn baby’s fingerprint on baby fingerprint jewellery, and you can wear it around your neck, on your wrist or on your finger. When you start leaving the baby with others for the first time, this piece of beautiful jewellery can keep you connected with your little one. The necklace, ring or bracelet can also become a family keepsake that you can pass down to your grandchildren. Imagine giving them a little something of their parent to help link the family generations.

If you want something similar but without the cost, you can opt for baby castings instead. You can buy kits from the high street, which will allow you to create small imprints of your baby’s hands and feet. These unique models can be mounted in a frame and displayed and will be a forever marker for how small your child was – even when they come home from school as a teenager and grunt at you.

Add to nature

As the future of the environment is such a hot topic, doing something to mark a better future for your new child seems appropriate. A favourite way to do this is to plant a tree. A tree symbolises roots and the connection with the place we are born. It will also transcend generations, living beyond your life and that of your child.

As your child grows, so will the tree. It can be somewhere where you could hang a swing in the future or sit under it and have picnics. Your baby’s tree will become part of the family and its history.

If a tree is too big for your garden, you might want to consider a rose instead. You will need to nurture the rose, as you will your child, but both will offer immense beauty into the future.

The professional photographer

A lot of people wait a few weeks or even months before they have a professional photoshoot.  Yet, your baby will change so much of this time, and there will be memories missed. Hiring a specialist in newborn photography is essential, as getting the little one to pose is something of an art form. Also, although we don’t like to admit it too much, the newborn is not the most aesthetically pleasing stage. The baby will be red and wrinkled and there might be some battle scars from birth. Therefore, a photographer will work magic with props, lighting and angle to present the cutest, most beautiful image of your little person.

Photographs of your closest relatives with your baby will also form an essential part of the record of this time. Rather than have people come when they choose, leaving you swamped with lots of visitors, why not organised a welcome to the family gathering. This small and informal celebration can then be done on your terms, and you could encourage people to bring food too – amazingly handy when you have a newborn in the house. This could present the perfect opportunity to pose people with the baby as they say hello – creating a precious album of images for the future.

Time alone

When you look back on the first moments with your child, you might view it through a fog of chaos. You will have yet to get your routines in place, people will show up whether you want them to or not, and you will be exhausted. Consequently, you need to make a special effort to spend some alone time with your new loved one. Set aside a special moment where you sit alone in a room together and feel skin on skin. Sit quietly, not doing anything other than sitting in each other’s company and affirming that special bond that came with love at first sight.

Note: This is a collaborative post