VIP COLUMN – THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF MUM ALISON AND TODDLER JAMES…As appears fortnightly in VIP Magazine.

I’M EVERYTHING I AM BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME” Wouldn’t it be great if every child could say that. Unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world and probably never will but that doesn’t mean we keep passing the buck. Every single one of us can make a difference no matter how small. I’m honored to be the new ambassador for the Barnardos buggy push in September. They do incredible work and whether we want to admit it or not their job is becoming harder and harder. Kids are innocent and helpless and they need us to have their back.

I just came back from the ‘garden party’ in Aras an Uachtarain and what a fantastic day we had. The president spoke with great positivity and humour and his wife was incredibly warm and friendly. His passion for our children, families and our future is the type of attitude we need to carry us out of our current situation. James however kept losing his pants when he ran so I used the elastic off the beautiful programmes we were given to keep them up. After all necessity is the mother of invention. Not content with losing his pants though he ran through the rose bushes and cut his legs. I’m sure people thought I was a crazed lunatic but here’s hoping I get invited back!!

I’m so excited that my 0ToToddler show is finally hitting the road on the 20th of July for 6 weeks around Ireland. I have fantastic experts on hand and we will be talking about everything from pregnancy right through to toddlers looking at early childhood learning and development, fitness, nutrition, mental health and much more. We are also searching for Irelands 0ToToddler cover star for OH Baby! Mag so come on the day to have your little angel pictured to be in with a chance of winning! Check out my brand new website alisoncanavan.com for more information or www.facebook.com/0totoddlershow

JAMES LOVES:

This exciting new range of wooden toys which use magnets to hold the pieces together, offering your child’s imagination a wilderness of exciting opportunities to take apart and build the existing designs or to make completely new ones!
Price: 19.95 www.kiddymania.co.uk

ALISON LOVES:

This great leave Akin leave in conditioner for busy Mums. Now you can have shiny hair all year round. €12.95

ASK ALISON:

HI Alison,
I’m looking for smart shoes for my son. I’ve trawled the shops and can’t seem to find anything different or interesting for boys. Have you come across any for James?
Amy, Lucan

Hi Amy,
Its tough with boys sometimes and there always seems to be so much more for girls. I did however find an adorable pair of shoes from cherish me They do a brand called Livie and Luca. They dress up any outfit and are perfect for our Irish Summers!! They have loads of different styles to suit your taste.Above all they’re really comfortable and James just loves telling everyone he’s wearing elephants! Their designs are inspired by nature, folklore and the rich imagination of children.
Livie and Luca use brightly colored velvety soft leathers and other textiles to bring the utmost comfort and resilience to their shoe range. Each Livie and Luca baby and toddler shoes are made by hand and worn by celeb kids such as Marcia cross &
Angelina Jolie daughters. Price starts from €31.50

MY LITTLE BLACK BOOK:

As the ambassador I would love to ask you to Get fit and challenge yourself to take part in Barnardos 5km Buggy Push Challenge this September. This sponsored challenge is for Mums, Dads, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles to push their babies in buggies around the 5km race route. You can run or walk. It’s up to you!
When: Sunday 2nd September at 11am, Phoenix Park, Dublin. Registration is just €20. When you register you will receive a fundraising pack including a Barnardos running vest and Dettol wipes and coupons!
When you register you will also gain exclusive access to Barnardos’ 10 week training plan. Each week you will receive a newsletter with tips on training, nutrition advice, how to keep baby happy in the buggy and some exclusive offers from the event sponsor, Dettol. For new Mums, getting out in the fresh air with your baby and walking with other Mums is a great way to gently get back in shape and make friends. Buggy Fitness is fast becoming the most popular way for new Mums to get fit as it fits in with their new lifestyle and baby can come and have fun too! It’s not just Mums either; Dads are getting out there too. Visit www.barnardos.ie to register today

MOTHERS LITTLE HELPER:

Please sign up to my newsletter on my new website www.alisoncanavan.com and each week you’ll receive a new video from ACTV and updates on events, parenting videos, my causes, shoots and much more!!!
Updated info for my contact details www.facebook.com/alisoncanavanofficial