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By Tamsin Oxford in Features on
30 July, 2010 at 8:00 am
 Well! It may be measuring day but I can tell you right now that the evil and wicked Thorntons may have destroyed all the hard work I did this last seven days. Let me explain…Today was a day with a great deal of walking and my FitFlops got one heck of a workout.
It all started out innocently enough. I got off the train, I bought a coffee, and I ambled up to the entrance of the Underground. In my half asleep state I didn’t really click that the reason the man was walking in front of me (causing me to keep on moving to the right) was because he was closing the gates. Victoria was shut. Sorry for me.
Cue some breathless pounding of pavements as I galloped around the area in search of a bus that would take me to work. Eventually, after navigating an angry granny (not at me, fortunately), a deranged teenager, and some roadworks, I found a bus. Then it was running to work, running up the stairs and running about all morning.
At lunch PlayPennies was invited to the Thorntons Christmas in July. I walked all the way there in my FitFlops and it was about 30 minutes of hard exercise as I only had an hour to spare. The event was fantastic, by the way, so check out my mini-deal announcement at 3pm today.
The room was dripping delectable chocolate from every pore. How could I not have Thorntons for lunch? They also gave me some samples to try out which I rapidly enjoyed in case someone at work wanted me to share. Yes, I am a bad person but this is chocolate for heaven’s sake! Now there was a lot of pressure on my FitFlops to somehow burn those naughty calories down to the ground. I’ve put some pics of the treats here for you to enjoy.
So I hiked the 30 minutes back to the office, did some more bustling about and galloped home on the tube and train. Now it is time to reveal whether or not a week of FitFlop marathoning has changed my measurements…
Week One Measurements:
Thighs: 21.5 inches (RESULT! I lost half an inch)
Calves: 14.5 inches (Sadness! I gained half an inch!)
Hips: 37.5 inches (OOOH! That’s another half an inch lost)
Conclusion: Perhaps the saying should go, “A minute on the lips, an inch on the calves” because that is the only place I gained in size.
Stay tuned next week for the final stretch when hopefully I will have managed to lose even more inches off my frame.
I also have to say a big thank you to Fitness Footwear, who gave me my yummy chocolate leather FitFlops for the challenge.
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By Heidi Scrimgeour in Features on
29 July, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Do you dread the school summer holidays, or count down the days until you’re free of the school routine?
Strangely, I used to dread the school holidays before my children started school. Last September my youngest started nursery at the same time that my eldest started Big School but prior to that we used to have a tightly balanced weekly routine that involved swimming lessons, mums and toddler groups and playgroup, and I never understood why all those activities for pre-schoolers would grind to a halt during the school holidays. It seemed kind of cruel at the time, but I now realise it’s probably to allow parents a well-earned break, especially in case of them having older children.
But when my boys were fully ensconced in the school routine, I’d been looking forward to the holidays for weeks. I’d been delighted at the prospect of not having to launder uniforms, make packed lunches, or supervise homework. I couldn’t wait to abandon the pressure of the morning routine and school run in favour of lounging in our PJ’s still lunchtime. And best of all I was looking forward to a more relaxed pace of life, with days spent on the beach or in the playpark, instead of regimented round the clock.
 But once the holidays struck, they didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Unused to spending hours at home together, my boys started squabbling much more than usual, and the house turned into a tip almost overnight. Without my child-free hours to dedicate to work, I struggled to make the transition from working mum to full-time parent, and ended up snappy and short-tempered. I knew something had to change when I found myself hiding in the bathroom, drowning out the whining and hoping no-one would track me down for at least three peaceful minutes. At that point, I decided to take charge and ensure we have a summer of fun instead of nine long weeks of misery, so here are my top five tips for summer fun:
1. Clear out the toys.
In my experience, the more stuff children have to play with, the harder they find it to know what to play with. Getting rid of all the broken stuff or toys that my boys have grown out of and paring their bounty back to a few beloved items rather than piles of junk has really helped them get into the groove of playing together at home. They get so used to the structure and routine of school that having completely free reign at home can actually be really hard for them to handle. Try setting up an art table or a train set or wendy house – anything that looks inviting and encourages them to start playing instead of sitting around squabbling or moaning that they’re bored.
2. Make one good investment.
 For less than a tenner each I bought my boys a superhero costume as their summer holiday play treat. It’s the very first thing they look for when they open their eyes in the morning, and ensures hours of cheap, imaginative playtime. They know this is my treat to them for the summer so they won’t beg for toys every time we go to Asda, but the novelty value of something new helped inject new life into their play. It doesn’t have to be pricy and it can even be something you make together, but somehow setting something up as THE summer holiday play item helps focus their attention when they’re kicking their heels and trying to work out how to spend all that free time that they’re not used to.
3. Get outside.
We have a 10 o’clock rule in our house. We have to have left the house every day by 10am. Generally we just go for a walk into town or to the beach and my boys ride their bikes and dress themselves (in the superhero costumes, naturally) so getting out of the house in the morning is still a leisurely affair, but I find that getting up and out, having some exercise and some fresh air stops them going stir crazy. They’re usually well in need of a rest and some down-time when we get home which makes for a relaxed lunch, and after that they’re usually raring to go again, but it just splits the day up and stops us all having cabin fever.
4. Take some time to think about what you want out of the holidays.
 Personally, when September rolls around I want to know that I’ve spent some serious time bonding and having fun with my boys. I want them to remember me hanging out with them during the holidays, not getting bogged down with housework or juggling my work. It takes some serious commitment to follow through on those intentions, but writing them down and even talking about them as a family can help crystalize your sense of what’s important to you all.
5. Get creative.
Even if a holiday isn’t in your budget this year, you can still have plenty of fun on your very own Staycation. Sleep in a tent in the backgarden, embark on a family summer-long art project or make Friday nights picnic time. It’s amazingly easy to create fantastic family memories even on the tightest of budgets – it just takes some thought and planning, so dream big. Make a pot of tea, sit down with your calendar and a notebook and plan in some top notch family fun before the weeks run away with you and you realise it’s already back to school time.
Above all else, enjoy the holidays! They can be a really stressful time and tempers can all too easily get frayed but if you prioritise even ten minutes for yourself every single day, you’ll find your capacity increases and you’ll have more energy to direct everyone else towards a fun-filled school holiday. It doesn’t matter whether you sit with a pot of tea in the garden before everyone else is up, or soak in the bath with a glass of wine at the end of the day – just remember that parents are people too, and if you take care of yourself this summer, you’ll have more energy for taking care of everyone else.
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By Tamsin Oxford in Features on
29 July, 2010 at 8:00 am
 I ached today, ooooh yes I ached. Not a lot, not as if I’d done ten rounds with Mike Tyson, but enough to make me totter a little as I made my way to the station in my FitFlops. Plasters adorned both feet to prevent the current holes in skin from getting any bigger, and I was armed with my camera to take some shots of the lovely underground, just for you!
I must admit that I am starting to feel more of a burn as I progress through the challenge. The FitFlops are on my feet from 7am to 8pm every day, all day. I’m positive my bum looks tighter and leaner, and I am hoping that’s not wishful thinking. Ha! Well, measuring day is on Friday so we’ll soon know which one it is.
The FitFlops are also becoming more comfortable each day. From feeling a little clunky and stiff last week, to now molding nicely to my feet. While I do have some rubbed spots on the top of my feet (as per the plasters), the rest of the foot doesn’t even realise its in shoes. A vast difference from my usual footwear that I used to travel to London in. I don’t suffer from sticky foot syndrome, which is very nice.
 I really do hope that these FitFlops rise to the challenge and get me those leaner, longer legs that they promise. Because they look good, feel good, and frankly, if they make me look like a babe at the same time, then they are the dream shoes. Today the photos I took were my version of “subway action shots”. I was forced to detour via Westminster because the Victoria line had ground to a halt and I was really impressed with how nice it was.
Thank you to Fitness Footwear, who gave me my yummy chocolate leather FitFlops for the challenge!
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By Tamsin Oxford in Features on
28 July, 2010 at 8:00 am
 Oh my, and what a day it was. The temperature was high, the air was still, and I had to hike my flabby bum across the UK in my shiny new FitFlops. My lazy side was glaring at me the entire time. Although, to be fair, the rest of me was very excited and grateful that it wasn’t raining.
Can you imagine me squeaking across the train station in wet shoes? Soggy feet on the freezing cold train? What’s up with that anyway? Finally the weather is deliciously warm and summery, so the train people decide to whack up the aircon so by the time I arrived at London Victoria my feet had hypothermia.
The shoes are very comfy, although the straps on the right foot seem to catch a nerve every now and then that sends a jolt of pins and needles into my toes. It took a bit of practising to get the foot used to how unbendy the base is and stop twanging my nerves.
I also have very raw feet on the top. The skin has been rubbed quite a bit. I’m going to have to apply plasters tomorrow, otherwise I’ll have broken toes by Friday! I am hoping that this is just the leather getting to know me and not a pair of Hungry Shoes.
You know, you get those shoes that, once they’ve tasted blood, keep wanting more?
Anyway, I walked up and down every escalator. I walked up and down every platform. And I walked with purpose and speed. I am feeling a little stiff already this evening and am hoping that I’m not going to end up walking like a terrifying robot  tomorrow because I can’t bend my legs!
The pic on the right, by the way, was a sign on the tube that made me laugh like mad this morning. Not sure why Danger of Death is so funny, but there you have it.
Three more days to measurement day! Eeek!
Thank you to Fitness Footwear, who gave me my yummy chocolate leather FitFlops for the challenge!
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By Lynley Oram in Features on
26 July, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Local exchange trading systems are also known as Lets for short. Another sort of trading system you’ll come across are time banks (as is my local trading system). Both are schemes that allow people to trade services for some sort of credit rather than money. Barter instead of cash, sort of.
 These systems are ideal for those short on cash, and for frugal families but they also form a great structure for community support. You do need to make sure that you’ve got the time to spare though. And keep in mind that they’re not about getting something for free.
Lets and time banks are a new way of doing what people used to always do in the past – essentially it is neighbours helping neighbours. As such, many of these systems are also a great way of getting to know people and participating in the local community. Especially useful if you have moved to a new city or area.
Your inner trader
This is how it works. You do something, anything that you’re good at for another member. It might be setting up a web page, walking a dog, DIY or baking a cake. In exchange you’ll get credits that you can then spend on the services or goods offered by other members in the scheme.
 Sounds like a great idea in theory, but does it work in practice? PlayPennies mum of one Rachel works part time, three days a week. “I joined our local time bank because it sounded like a great idea. Every penny counts at the moment. I’m sad to say though that so far I haven’t had the time to do anything. I haven’t even read the directory. My husband has pitched in with a couple of things though – he’s a lawyer and a keen gardener. We’ve donated a little bit of legal advice, and tomato plants! In return we got our fireplace fitted, which actually cost us a few more credits than we had. My husband is tied up in a big project now, so I have to find something on there I can do to make it up. For me that’s the main downside as I’ve not got a lot of spare time, if any to be honest.”
Under many systems users can start by requesting services rather than performing them. However, the used credits do have to be paid back. And it is the scheme that is owed the credits, never the person providing the service.
Lets vs time bank
 According to the Times newspaper the main difference between Lets and time banks is their ‘currency’ system. “Lets tend to operate in more affluent areas than time banks. The 300 or so British examples are run by members and exist as friendship networks as much as alternative economies. Each uses a named notional currency – “readies” in Reading, for instance, and “concrete cows” (CCs) in Milton Keynes – equivalent to the pound for tax purposes.“
So with Lets, services are given a value. You’ll be charged more credits for carpentry than you would for ironing, for example. Time banks, on the other hand deal exclusively in time. “An hour of work, whatever it is, costs and earns one tax-free time credit.” Possibly for this reason you tend to find time banks in more impoverished areas. The Rushey Green Time Bank in Lewisham, south east London, has found that the “most common exchanges are in DIY, garden work, cooking and dog-walking“.
Local community, global phenomenon
 There are hundreds of Lets around the UK, with the system available in countries around the world including Australia, New Zealand, France and the US where it all started. Time banks were the brainchild of former US civil rights lawyer Edgar Cahn. They now exist internationally as well, and are an increasing presence in the UK.
Cahn had a desire to establish an economic return to community values. Time banks are designed to achieve this. As he explained to the Guardian  while visiting the UK “Every capacity that has enabled our species to survive, such as caring for each other, relying on each other, has become excluded from our economic system. I realised that there was no way to build communities we wanted to live in if we didn’t completely reassess our value system and start rewarding human as well as financial contributions.“
No guarantee
One downside of Lets and time banks is that there is no guarantee. If a scheme folds then it ceases to exist. You will lose any credits or time credits held in the scheme. For this reason, members of Lets and time banks are advised to never take on jobs that they are not willing, and able, to do free of charge.
And finally
How to find a Lets or time bank? Using the internet of course! For a directory of Lets in the country, and to learn more about the schemes, visit Letslink UK. The website for Time Banking UK is well worth spending some time on. It includes a number of videos showing time banks in action and various time bank events.
Have you got a barter scheme in your area? Maybe it is something you started yourself. Many canny parents have clubbed together, for example, to provide babysitting services. Share your experiences here and tell us what you think!
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By Tamsin Oxford in Features on
22 July, 2010 at 1:00 pm
As parents we’re often guilty of eating any old thing during the day because we’re just too busy to stop and cook a healthy meal. There have been days I’ve gone without food until supper time and then hoovered down the entire contents of the fridge.
Obviously, this is not a good idea for children and so we whip up quick and instant meals to keep them fuelled and ready. Or rely on nursery hot meals. Well, thanks to some enterprising humans, some internet research, and some fantastic tips from mums, here are someways to beat the cooking blues and keep your family healthy.
 I am terrible at vitamins, and at understanding nutritious food. I am. My husband is constantly rolling his eyes in despair.
Last night I insisted that the sour cream and blueberry cake counted as part of my five a day. There were blueberries on it! They’re a superfood!
Well, this site is perfect for people like me. They help you get your children the food they need. There is advice, guidance, expert assistance, tips from real mums and lots of lovely helpful tools. I’m particularly impressed with the Tot It Up Calculator that gives you a personalised analysis of your toddler’s diet.
 No, this isn’t actually a tip. This is more of a deal. I uncovered these little gems recently and am smitten. They are stuck in my weekly shop and I drink them too. Tropicana kids are 75% juice, 25% water and one of your five-a-day. They only cost a measly £1.99 for four and are in child-friendly flavours.
Another range that really does save you loads of time and still gets the vitamins going is the Planet Lunch range. They are wholesome foods designed to control fat, salt and added sugars and are made from 100% natural ingredients. You can get squeezable fruit, fruit and oat bites and bread bites. I like their simplicity and that they may just rock lunchboxes come September.
3. The Cook-a-thon
 This particular idea makes a ton of sense and will make you very grateful to yourself as the week goes by. However, it does mean giving up most of a day to the task. This is the cook-a-thon. You go out, you get your shop with a set list of items, you cook them all. Fill your freezer with healthy, scrummy meals that can be defrosted and warmed up at the drop of a hat.
There are alternatives to this, of course.
“Instead of spending my entire Sunday locked to the stove,” said Katharine, “I always cook double what the recipe calls for every second week of the month. I then freeze what’s left over into individual portions and on busy days everyone can choose what they want to eat. It adds very little extra time to my cooking and is so much better than instant meals or take out.”
Obviously Katharine is a total swot but her idea is genius, and one that I am going to try out over the next few weeks. I’m getting tired of emergency take-out because we’re too tired to cook for ourselves.
4. The Fun Recipe Hunt
 The internet is your friend. You don’t even need a printer. Just go online and discover a world of clever cooking ideas. From tips on how to make food look magical and attract a child, to making things out of nothing, the internet can revolutionise your kitchen.
There are two ways that this can change your kitchen. The first is that many sites offer recipes that children can make with you. While this isn’t something you want to do every day, it can make that tedious patch a little more fun. The second, is that a fun and outrageous recipe that challenges your creativity, or makes you laugh, is a sure fire way of relaxing and enjoying the experience instead of feeling bored and frustrated with the tedium of it all.
 RecipeChimp and SuperCook are two sites that will give you a recipe out of the ingredients you have left lying around your home. Today, for me, was one of the days when this came in handy. Husband and I have been working like loons and we both forgot the weekly shop, so you can imagine my horror when I opened the fridge and saw only a piece of mouldy parmesan and some chicken wings.
Enter RecipeChimp! I entered my ingredients (the scrapings from the veggie box included) and ended up with a rather tasty chicken dish that everybody enjoyed. Where RecipeChimp has failed me, SuperCook has saved the day. This discovery is all thanks to Sarah.
So, hopefully these simple steps will help you feel a little less bored, frazzled and under pressure in the kitchen. And your kids will be the healthiest and most nutritious on the block. Watch, I’m throwing away those vitamin supplements as I type – I have faith in my newfound nutritional genius!
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By Tamsin Oxford in Features on
22 July, 2010 at 8:00 am
 I am a tad overweight; some would say “cuddly”, others would say, “stop eating cake”. So, I have decided to take the trend by the horns and subject my unfit body to the rigours of shoes that have been designed to exercise your muscles while you walk.
Yes, I am going to be using a pair of FitFlops from Fitness Footwear and I am going to document my results over the next three weeks.
As of today, I am going to pop on the FitFlops and commute to London. Yep. A two hour trip each way during which I solemnly swear to: walk up and down all escalators, stand on all tubes (not the 1hr20min train ride though), and walk everywhere while wearing these shoes.
On the days when I’m not missioning up to the Big Smoke, I’ll be wearing them while doing all my daily activities – looking after my preschooler, cleaning the house, running around doing admin and so forth.
This is going to be the ultimate test to see whether these shoes do what they promise on the tin. Will they increase my leg, calf and gluteal muscle activity? I will be measuring my thighs, calves and bum once a week (the start-out measurements are below) to see if there is any difference as I go.
Will they improve muscle tone and increase bottom muscle activation? I’ll be relying on the measurements and photographs to see whether my legs are showing any improvements in tone and musculature.
 Will they reduce back stress and improve my posture? I suffer from back pain thanks to my typical computer posture so I will note exactly how much better my back feels at the end of a long day of walking and sitting. Obviously the shoes can’t help my seated posture, but they may help ease strain on my back.
I will be updating the FtiFlop Challenge every day (except weekends) for the next few weeks so if you have any suggestions, think I need to add some more details, or have any extra ideas then please post them here. After all, if these DO work then mums of the world shall celebrate for we can exercise while we do our admin/work and save precious minutes in the day.
Start Out Measurements:
Thighs: 22 inches
Calves: 14 inches
Hips: 38 inches
I actually can’t believe I am sharing my enormity with the world.
 Expect the next measurements in one week! Oh, and I forgot to mention that I am not going to change my (bad) diet one single bit. Not a jot. Not at all. So the results will accurately reflect the results of the FitFlops.
I also have to say a big thank you to Fitness Footwear, who gave me my yummy chocolate leather FitFlops for the challenge.
EDIT: Sadly my shoes, my wonderful FitFlop shoes, were too big for me! So the FitFlop Challenge is on hold while the fabulous Fitness Footwear whisk a smaller pair on over to me. Please check in on Tuesday for the next riveting instalment!
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By Lynley Oram in Features on
19 July, 2010 at 1:00 pm
The first baby is a nerve wracking experience for most parents. I was no different. What to expect? How to plan? It is like you’ve fallen into this huge abyss of ‘I don’t know’.
This is made worse if, like me, few of your friends have babies and you are miles and miles away from family support. On top of that there’s a huge industry out there with the sole purpose of targeting you and getting your cash. This is an incredibly lucrative business. Note the large number of magazines aimed at new parents. All stuffed full of product reviews and a slew of adverts.
 Then take a look around the shelves in the news agents. Not so much for parents of older children, if anything at all. Even magazines with names like Families seem to be full of stuff for those with under-fives. I can’t shake the suspicion that this is because, as our children get older, we finally get wiser. It isn’t so easy to crowbar the cash out of our wallets.
Clever marketing
I admit it. I was a total sucker. I pretty much bought everything going. It was absolute agony browsing online catalogues, looking through the shops, reading magazines. Did I really need an item? What if I didn’t buy it and it turned out to be that One Crucial Thing?
Liat Hughes Joshi is the co-author of ‘What to Buy for Your Baby’ (subtitle: Choosing the equipment that’s right for you). She explains, in an article in the Telegraph that the categories of products “range from the ‘’vaguely useful in some circumstances’’ to ‘’wastes of money that assume it is the parents who were born yesterday, not the babies’’’.
The most useless product that Liat came across was the “Babykeeper, a US contraption that allows you to ‘hang’ your baby on the cubicle wall while you go to the lavatory. It’s alarming and hilarious, especially given it costs $40”.
 I have to say it was nice to find out I wasn’t alone. When I asked around I was inundated with stories of expensive state-of-the-art baby monitors that were too complicated and never used. Bottle warmers that took forever to heat up, and ended up sitting uselessly next to the more convenient microwave. Shelves of parenting books that all contradicted each other.
Over pampered baby
Nicki is mum to three aged five and under. “I saw a baby wipes warmer in the shop a few weeks ago! Can’t believe that someone would pay $40 to warm the baby wipes?” I can possibly understand getting a warmer given the winter we just had here in the UK. But Nicki lives in Brisbane where temperatures rarely dip below 20 degrees!
 PlayPennies mum Sho thinks that the baby bath and changing table were her biggest wastes of cash. I have to admit that I never used my changing table that much. It seemed like a good idea at the time, when I was pregnant and my head was filled with cosy images of gentle baby moments. I had no idea how often a newborn needs to be changed. Or how tired I’d be, and how steep those stairs would seem after you’ve been awake half the night. It was far easier to whip out the changing mat from the change bag and do it all on the sofa.
It costs how much to sleep?
For some reason I felt obliged to get a bassinet and a Moses basket. Even though the cot part of the pram detached, and lay down flat so that it could be used as a bassinet.
 Ani faced the same dilemma when pregnant with her son. “I insisted to my partner that we needed to have a crib as well as a Moses basket. Needless to say, the crib was used for all of ohhhh, two weeks I reckon Mostly as my son loved his Moses basket and we used it up to the last minute, by which time he was pretty much at the growing out stage for the crib too. Oh and it was an M&P swinging crib that actually didn’t swing on the thread of carpet in our bedroom!”
Annmarie’s least favourite purchase was “that horrible yellow nappy bin device (what was it called?) that wasn’t supposed to – but absolutely stank. It turned them into a long roll of smelly sausages using more wrapping material.”
Try before you buy!
Amongst the most useless items were those latest baby gadgets that everyone seemed to be raving about. For me it was the Bumbo, the baby chair that my son used all of twice. Luckily though that didn’t suck up too much of my dosh. The problem, and what you don’t realise as a new mum, is that all babies are utterly and vastly different. What will be brilliant for one baby, won’t work for another. And you just don’t know until you try it!
If I’d seen this next little gizmo at the time I’d have probably been suckered into buying it. Ani explains that “we also bought something that everyone (on mumsnet anyway) was claiming to be THE miracle for getting baby to sleep – a bizarre contraption called an Amby Nature’s Nest, which was an expensive hammock type thing. Originally designed for prem babies it was supposedly marvellous for all babies… it didn’t work for ours.”
And Finally
 My best mate, mum of one Donatella, is the opposite of me – which means she is far more sensible! Living the frugal parent’s dream she hardly wasted a penny when her son was born. “I was always minimalist and never bought anything – no Moses basket, no changing table, no changing foam mat, no diaper genie, no baby bath, no mini toilet seat, no special bathtub. My son was bathed in the kitchen sink, changed on the floor (using a towel) and potty trained on an adult toilet seat. Those things are just consumerist rubbish, in my opinion. Our parents never had any of that nonsense.”
Now it is time to confess. What items did you buy that turned out to be useless? And what wasn’t?
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By Tamsin Oxford in Features on
15 July, 2010 at 1:00 pm
It’s been a long day. You’re tired, you’re fed-up, and you could happily curl into a tiny ball and rock back and forth muttering. The last thing you feel like doing is cooking a healthy meal, or entertaining your tot, or undergoing some rigorous housework.
Think of the theme tune from Friends, “You lost your job, you’re broke, your love life’s DOA.” Hey, even when you’re married the last bit can count if you’ve bitten your other half’s head off just because they said good morning.
 So, your day has been crazy , your tot is driving you nuts and you decide to throw caution to the winds and just give them whatever they want. Have you ever just handed over an ice-cream for lunch? Used the TV as a babysitter? I commanded our PlayPennies mums to make their confessions and here are some corkers…
“The phone rang while my son, Jack, was on the toilet one day so I ran to answer it,” confessed Sarah, “I came back 20 minutes later to find him fast asleep with his bum still hanging over the pan. I completely forgot my son!”
Sarah’s confession made us all laugh. I have to admit that even writing it made me laugh. However, a sleep deprived parent is going to end up forgetting all sorts of things. One mum I know went to the shops, did all her shopping and wandered home without her baby in the pram. Her panic was heartbreaking, but fortunately she was well known in the area and her boy was safe and sound when she got there.
 Last year my husband and I had a rare bash at our house, a Halloween party that was just fantastic. Unfortunately, the next day we both had such bad hangovers we could barely move or talk. Our poor daughter had the most boring day of her life. We tried to drum up the energy to feel guilty about sticking her in front of the TV for an entire day, but even that was too much hard work.
“I had spent all night working and had literally only crawled into bed at around 5am,” said Lynley, “My husband was away on business, so I had about half an hour’s sleep before my son woke me up. I was so tired that when he asked me if he could have an iced lolly for breakfast, I gave it to him without thinking.”
“I ran out of breakfast things,” said Shirley, “There was absolutely nothing in the house and I had two hungry kids staring at me in dismay. What did I do? I made them custard. Yes, custard for breakfast.”
 It isn’t just forgetting food or kids, though; parents have a tendency to get all sorts of things muddled up when they’re busy/tired/all of the above. One of my favourite stories has to be another of Lynley’s…
“I slept in one morning and realised that we were running horribly late for school,” she said, “I was yelling at him non-stop to hurry up, get dressed, we’ve GOT TO GO NOW, only to arrive at the school gates and find them shut. It was an inset day. He’d been trying to tell me…”
Still feeling bad about that one time you happened to do something that you were positive would bring the Parenting Police crashing into your living room? Well, here are some more.
“My best one wasn’t actually with my own child, it was my best friend’s little boy,” said Kelly, “He was about six months old and I was minding him for the day. I gave him his bottle but hadn’t put the lid on properly and, as I fed him, the top came off and emptied the entire contents over his face.
 And I laughed. Hysterically. For about ten minutes. So did his mum when I told her. Now he is ten he is quite amused by the tale too.”
Why am I telling you all of this? Because there are some myths that are worth dispelling. Some things you can get away with from time to time and, to be a calm and relaxed parent, sometimes you have to let things slide. Your child’s brain won’t rot because you let them watch TV all afternoon, their teeth won’t give up and leave because they had custard for breakfast, and (we asked him) they probably won’t remember that you let them fall asleep on the loo.
Parenthood is stressful and if you search for guilt on Google you’ll be amazed at how many articles cover a range of topics on why parents shouldn’t feel guilty. So, while there are always those things that we should avoid doing as best we can, try not to beat yourself up if you make a couple of mistakes here and there.
After all, we’re all still here and I’m sure we’ve all had an ice-cream for breakfast at least once.
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By Lynley Oram in Features on
12 July, 2010 at 1:00 pm
The great outdoors. Fresh air. Sleeping under the stars. Meals cooked and eaten under the sky. There’s something of a great adventure about camping. Maybe it is being outside. But I find that I have simply the biggest appetite! So I’ve scoured the internet and asked PlayPennies parents for their easiest and yummiest ideas for camping meals. Here’s what I found!
If you’re after information on what to cook the food on, then take a look at last weeks feature: Festivals, Camping, Food and Cooking.
 The easiest option is to simply eat out, or buy convenience foods. But what’s the point of going camping if you do that? OK so I’m not talking from the vantage of experience here. I have yet to take a family camping holiday! I might change my mind after I’ve sat stirring a pot over a fire with the sun blazing down. But, I really do want to do a bit of cooking outdoors myself. It is part of the fun and experience, isn’t it? Plus it is much cheaper. I’m on a mega tight budget – one week for less than £100!
Be prepared!
Preparation isn’t just for scouts and guides. The key to a happy tummy when you’re camping is to make sure you plan before you go. I’ve been told to make a daily menu up, and then take the right amounts of food for each meal bagged up. That way you don’t have to measure and you don’t have to take whole packets. Will let you know how that works out.
On the other hand mum of two teens, Karen, takes a more laid back approach. “Buy food daily. Also camping is the time for packet mash and everything out of a tin (not if you’re hiking, obviously).”
 Kay, mum to three and grandma to two, says “We used to do three day hikes. We’d start off the first night with steak and veggies, and then graduate to things that wouldn’t spoil for the next two days. Bagels and peanut butter travel well. Make some homemade granola, lots of water, bread and hard cheeses. Oh and peanut M&Ms – absolute must have food when camping”.
Nicki plans out her meals before heading off. “I usually make up a spag bol or a nacho bean/mince mix for the first day. I freeze it; then it defrosts on the trip in time to reheat the first night. By the last night we’re on tins of spagetti.“
One Pan Wonder
If I’m going to be cooking on my hols then it has to be quick, easy, tasty and light on the washing up. Preferably, I’d like to just use one pan. Two ideas I have come across that sound promising are to take your wok, or slow cooker . Both make sense, although the slow cooker only works if you’re in a campsite with power hookup.
 I use my wok like a saucepan all the time, and have found it is fab for making quick casseroles at home. With a slow cooker you’ll have a nice hearty stew at the end of the day without having to slave over a hot fire. Genius!
BBC Good Food has a page of the yummiest looking one-pan recipes for camping .
Or try this simple recipe idea from PlayPennies dad Phil “When we go fishing, we bring tins of tomatoes (or light cartons from Sainsburys), puree, garlic etc for a sauce and slice up some salami to add to it. All of which, along with the pasta, won’t spoil before use.”
 I’ve had more than one person tell me to make my own bread on the fire each morning. I’m really still not sure about that. I found a video on making campfire bread on Videopedia http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Cook-Campfire-Bread—Bannock-18630405. It looks easy enough but I am definitely not sold on the idea. Especially after seeing what looks like a spider crawling out of the berries he tips into the mix. Maybe I’m not really cut out for this after all!
And finally
Really want to impress the family in the next tent? I found these recipes from Annie Bell’s latest book The Camping Cookbook, handily available online here. Not sure I’ll have the courage to try out the ‘fish in a newspaper’ one. You wrap the fish up in wet newspaper and cook it on the BBQ. I’d probably manage to burn the campsite down!
 However, as yummy as Annie’s recipes sound, they also seem like too much hard work to me. That sort of culinary fannying about is the sort of thing I prefer to do at home in the comfort of my kitchen. Not stooped over a gas ring or portable BBQ, while trying to chop vegetables without getting grass or insects into the mix.
Claire recommends starting every day “with a big fry up. A large breakfast  really sets you up for the day, and can often skip lunch and just have a small dinner.”
So here I am, about to go camping as a family for the first time, and I feel more than a tad under prepared. Any advice, or tips, anyone has to give will be gratefully received!
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