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Hips don’t lie…
Don’t worry, I’m not about to launch into a rant about the effect pregnancy has on your figure or discuss ‘birthing hips’! Instead this week I had the great opportunity to catch new Cuban dance production Ballet Revolución.
When an invitation dropped into my mailbox, it didn’t take long for me to decide my response – hot, bare-chested dancers flexing their toned limbs to the sounds of Ricky Martin and Shakira? – count me in!
The Sadler’s Wells production running at London’s Peacock Theatre is fairly far removed from any typical night at the ballet, but not completely, as these dancers clearly have the skills to compete with any top ballet company. And instead of pirouettes, tutus and scrapped back buns, it was more a case of pirouettes, hip thrusts, hotpants and dreadlocks to a soundtrack of Ricky Martin’s She Bangs and Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie, not to mention some more recent hits such as Chris Brown’s Yeah 3x and Beyonce’s If I Were a Boy, performed by a talented live band.
The tempo of the production continued to pick up pace throughout the performance brilliantly showcasing the mix of ballet, contemporary and hip hop. By the end of the night, it was hard not to want to join in and shake a hip or two.
At the Peacock Theatre, London until May 19 – definitely worth booking a ticket!
Sainsbury’s enters the baby food market
As any parent knows, weaning your child onto solids is not an easy path!
With my little one now 11 months, it’s a trauma/joy/drama (delete as appropriate) we’re currently enduring.
So I was interested to hear that leading supermarket Sainsbury’s has entered the baby food market with their own branded goods.
Strapping my boy into his sling, we jumped on the tube and headed into central London to road test the Little Ones range.
Developed with the help of registered nutritionist (and mum!) Fiona Wilcock, the range appears well thought out and, competing with other popular baby food brands, uses organic products up until those created for children over a year old.
So far the dishes have been a hit with my boy, who gobbled up a portion of the Beef Casserole. The next day he also enjoyed the Lamb and Chickpea Tagine with Prune and Couscous.
There are also classics like Spaghetti Bolognese, fruit and vegetable purees and breakfast cereals.
Like any mum, I want the best for my child and in a perfect world it would be home cooked meals three times a day – but, in reality very few of us have the time or energy!
Instead I don’t beat myself up about giving them the odd ready meal every now and again, so it’s good to see the range is also reasonably priced with products starting from 70p.
There are already 50 items in the range which also caters for toddlers up to three-years-old, with another 14 launching over the summer.
Shaun the Sheep Movie – review
To say this latest offering from Aardman – the creators of Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run – was long-awaited is a bit of an understatement..! And so as a bevy of children and adults gathered at a preview screening to watch Shaun the Sheep’s big screen debut, there was a certain sense of excitement in the air.
I’m glad to say we – both myself and my four year old – didn’t leave disappointed. With lots of laughs for both the kids and the big kids (ie adults) Shaun the Sheep’s journey into the big city to rescue his Farmer is well worth a watch. To be honest I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it through 90 minutes of no real dialogue, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Admittedly my little one was a bit scared when the ‘not very nice’ animal catcher came onto the screen, but overall lots of jokes for all ages and a big thumbs up!
In cinemas February 6.
#ShauntheSheepMovie
Hair wars…
I have what you’d call a love/hate relationship with my daughter’s hair. I love it when it looks neat and tidy, I hate it when I have to plait, wash or comb it – and so does she.
When she was younger I could almost get away with doing it while she slept, but as she’s got older we’ve gone from me chasing her around the house with a comb in my hand, to her sitting down for half of the ordeal before deciding she’s had enough. Oh, and did I mention how she hates to have water or shampoo touch her hair?
With her kinky afro hair I’m always on the lookout for any brands claiming to have an ‘easy comb’ or ‘detangling’ effect to make at least one aspect of the hair-dressing procedure less harrowing.
I’ve recently been trying Mini Naked De-tangler Shampoo and while it wasn’t an obvious choice – ie not aimed at afro-haired children – I was surprised (and glad) to see it did the job. Part of the Naked range, but specially for little ones, it’s almost completely (97%) made from natural ingredients.
Admittedly I wasn’t too keen on the smell when I first started to use it, but I think that may have been the combination of lavender oil in the ingredients alongside aloe vera – I’ve never been a fan of lavender and it always takes me a while to get used to the aroma!
It retails at about £3 which isn’t too bad, especially as afro hair doesn’t need to be washed every day – which is quite lucky really as I don’t think I, or my daughter, could cope with the trauma!