snoozshade Archives - Alison Canavan

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TODDLER TALES IN VIP MAGAZINE – PRESCHOOL RULES

Well it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions in this house with a lot of changes happening. James recently moved up to the preschool room to prepare for September. When I asked what the difference was he said in preschool there’s no biting, no hitting, no slapping and you have to listen. My immediate reaction was to go in and hug the teachers he has had for the past couple of years as it seems they were working in what can only be described as an out of control zoo!

When my laughter subsided, as he is incredibly dramatic, not too unlike his mother we moved onto more serious issues. James broke up with Holly! There I said it, his first heartache. He told me since they moved to preschool she hasn’t been playing with him and she’s now going out with a preschooler and they’re not speaking anymore. They’ve been together for about a year and a half now so as you can imagine this has been tough for everyone. Just as I was about to put my hat away James came home the very next day and announced he had a new girlfriend called Lauren. “I’m going to marry her,” he said.

“Now hold on a second my here James,” I said. I think you should take things slow as you’ve just broken up with Holly and you could be moving into marriage a bit too quickly. “Ok” he said as bright and breezy as ever. You just let me know when then. I hope the exact same things happens if I don’t like a girlfriend when he grows up but something tells me that’s wishful thinking.

I seem to be spending quite a lot of time holding in my laughter these days because let me tell you if you laugh he gets very upset and wants to know why I’m not taking him seriously as he’s a big boy now (eh nearly 4!!!)

I will admit I did shed a few tears the day I dropped him up to preschool at The Toddler Inn. I’m such an emotional being and he’s growing up so fast. To make myself feel better, I asked him will he leave me when he gets older and as I moved in for the right answer, which would of course have been No, he told me “yes mum, but don’t worry because I’ll come and visit.” Now where’s that receipt??

MY TOP PRODUCTS THIS MONTH:

We are dinosaur crazy here at Canavan towers and I was delighted to find a great selection of dinosaur books at Hamleys. Here’s three of our favourites:

Yikes Stinkysaurus – €9, This is our current favourite book as kids seem to think everything to do with saying stinky is hilarious. James even rolls around laughing when he takes his socks off!!

Tyrannosaurus Drip – €9 One of my favourite childrens authors and author of the Gruffalo Julia never disappoints. When a little compsognathus robs a duckbill egg it ends up in the T Rex’s nest! Of course he doesn’t fit in and most certainly doesn’t eat meat. A great book to help kids understand meat and plant eaters!

Noisy Dinosaurs – €14

I think the SnoozeShades are a must for every parent for the buggy and car seat and now I’m delighted that they have unveiled the new and improved SnoozeShade for Travel Cots. This simple, portable sleep solution will provide a darkened, distraction-free sleep environment making any time naptime. An essential accessory for families going on holiday. €68.50 www.snoozeshade.com

ASK ALISON:

Hi Alison

I’m looking for a good night serum. Do you use one yourself and do you think its necessary?

Thanks, Jenni

Hi Jenni

I do think serums are important for lots of reasons. Our lives are so hectic and the pollutants we are exposed to nowadays means we have to try and rectify with a good skincare routine. Up till now I have used the same one for both day and night but I have recently started to use SkinCeuticals brand new Resveratrol B E night concentrate. It’s an innovative formulation designed to target the visible signs of skin ageing and accumulated skin damage. As soon as I saw this I said sign me up! It helps to optimize the skin’s natural night-time processes which include: Promoting the skin’s natural defense systems, reinforcing the skin’s natural protection against free radical damage, strengthening the skin’s functionality against visible skin ageing and diminishing the appearance of visible skin ageing. Your skin will be looking Radiant, the elasticity will feel better and the appearance of density will be restored.

FOR MUM:

The SkinCeuticals launch Resveratrol B E Night Concentrate €140, expensive but will last and get results.

FOR BABY:

My star buy: The world first lifting blanket and ingenious parenting solution is endorsed by breastfeeding specialists, midwives, sleep experts, Osteopaths, Chiropractors and many more! €50 www.snugglebundl.co.uk

THIS FORTNIGHT:

READING Niall Harbison’s new book “Get Shit Done!” He’s an inspiration and I’m certainly motivated to get shit done since I’ve started reading it.

DOWNLOADING the recently released new Photo app Popsnap (FREE App) that allows you to print your photos directly from your phone. Available on iPhone & Android. You can now order beautiful high quality photo prints direct from your phone for delivery anywhere in the world.

September 13, 2014/0 Comments/by Alison

Parenting

SUMMER HAZARDS FOR BABIES

SUMMER HAZARDS FOR BABIES

Like with every stage of parenting just as you get to grips with current issues another set of problems crop up. So you baby proofed the house and up till now you have been able to sit back and smile or even pat yourself on the back. Yes I do this sometimes as who else is going to do it if you don’t? Then the sun comes out and the fear sets in as your baby or toddler eats everything in sight. Pebbles are a hazard as are hot barbecues, poison berries, water and the list goes on. Your first thought is to get them back inside to safety where you have every cupboard locked tight, every corner padded and stair gates that block all escape routes to danger.

However, after a very long winter a few simple precautions will allow you to enjoy the alien yellow object that appears as if to tease us sometimes in the Irish sky. If like my son your two year old panics and screams ‘ouch, ouch mummy. My eyes hurt’ don’t panic like I did and be happy they’re finally getting Vitamin D. Feeling like I had reared a mole I reassured my son that this bright light In the sky was great and it would make everyone happy. However I can’t protect him from all the red arms, legs and faces he’s going to endure watching but instead I have decided to teach him the importance of suncream.

Keeping our kids hydrated and protected from the sun is one of the most important things to remember during summer months. I love the Hamilton range of Sun creams, as they are suitable for all the family and especially kids with sensitive skin.
The snoozeshade for your buggy is also fab for the summer months as you’re baby will be protected and won’t overheat in the buggy. Make sure they always wear a sunhat and suitable comfy breathable clothing. Be careful not to leave creams or insect repellents lying around as some liquids and oils contain liquid hydrocarbons, which can cause a serious pneumonia-like condition, irreversible lung damage, and even death if a child aspirates the substance into their lungs. This is obviously extreme but a real danger at the same time. Child resistant caps are a must throughout your house and garden.

Beware of poisonous plants. Many of the plants and their parts can be poisonous for babies. Because of their fascination for putting everything into their mouths they may eat flowers, berries, leaves or bulbs from garden plants. Make a list of all the plants and shrubs in your garden and

find out from someone knowledgeable whether they or any of their parts are poisonous. Beware of garden plants like rhododendron, deadly nightshade, azalea, rhubarb leaves, lily of the valley, hyacinth, privet, foxglove, delphinium, laburnum and yew that are known to be poisonous. Also beware of plants with thorns or spikes. These can cause a lot of pain if your baby falls face first into them. Teach your child not to pick flowers or plant parts and keep your baby away from them.

Please be careful near water as drowning is quick and silent. Young kids rarely make a big splash, thrash around, or scream for help like you see on TV. They usually fall in headfirst and sink to the bottom like a rock. A child who’s underwater will lose consciousness after two minutes and suffer irreversible brain damage within four to six minutes. Never leave your child unattended for any length of time near water.

Babies have the habit of putting everything into their mouth so watch for soil that might contain cat or dog feces that can harm your baby if ingested. They may contain harmful parasites like toxoplasmosis found in cat feces and toxocariasis in dog feces. Therefore for baby safety fence or grass over the flowerbeds or any exposed earth. The same goes for sand pits, which should be kept covered when baby is around. If your child is anything like mine he will also be quite a good escape artist so make sure you have no holes in the fence and don’t leave the gate open.

Finally babies and toddlers are drawn to barbecues that are hot and very dangerous. Even after the barbecue is gone out the coals remain hot for quite a long time. The last thing you need is little fingers getting burnt and a trip to A&E. Two things I always try to remember is to stay aware and never leave them unattended. Now all I hope is that we finally get that Summer we’ve been longing for!

May 20, 2013/0 Comments/by Alison