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My Colourful World: Best Friends – Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion
IT’S ALWAYS difficult when your child doesn’t fit the stereotypical images of childhood peddled out on TV and in books.
The day your little one asks you why they can’t see themselves in these forms of entertainment – is quite simply heartbreaking.
And that’s why, whenever I hear of something which addresses this problem, my heart sings!
Lolade Coker found herself in this situation and decided to do something about it.
With a four-year-old who loved colouring but never saw kids like herself in colouring books, the search started for Lolade and culminated in the creation of My Colourful World: Best Friends.
She said: “My Colourful World is an educational tool that promotes fine motor skills whilst teaching children about diversity and inclusion.
“This colouring book will help to build a strong community for all kids who are often misrepresented by mainstream media.”
The book contains 30 pages and are single sided to prevent the dreaded bleed through as those little artists get to work.
They can also easily be removed from the book for easy access.
Available to buy from Amazon.
Balance – and a large glass of wine! – helps me cope, says Kirsty Gallacher
The dark-haired TV presenter was more than candid about coping with life as a working mum when I bumped into her at make-up brand Benefit’s pop-up pub launch of Gabbi’s Head recently.
When querying exactly how she copes juggling a successful career in the media with the pressures of motherhood (while looking so glam!) she joked ‘A large glass of wine!’
Joking aside, the 38 year old mother of two confided ‘It’s definitely about having some sort of balance – and making sure you take time out for yourself.
‘Recently I’ve been working six day weeks – the phone’s ringing, I’m dealing with a four and a seven year old, a bunch of pets and animals – and people will then comment that they think I’ve lost weight! But once I know everything has been done and is in its place – I’m a bit OCD! – it’s important to make that time for yourself, whether it’s a massage, a glass – or bottle! – of wine.’
Speaking for lots of other working parents out there, Gallacher added ‘It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when it’s coming at you from all angles, but having a balance and taking some time out occasionally – that’s what works for me.’
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.
Congratulations Adele! Singer, mother, trendsetter…
Just days after the Rumour Has It singer gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, she now has the second delight of having a dress named after her.
Peaks of London, who specialise in creating fashionable items of clothing for breastfeeding mothers, have christened a piece from their S/S13 collection, the Marilyn Adele dress.
Yay for Adele, now what do I have to do to get something named after me…?
Anyway, the elegant dress for special occasions is perfectly designed to allow breastfeeding mothers the best of both worlds – the chance to not look like a dowdy frump while giving hungry babies easy access.
And while the dress doesn’t come in Adele’s signature black, the style – over the knee, with a cinched waist and mid-length sleeves – is very much something you could imagine her wearing.
The Marilyn Adele dress retails at £150 www.peaksoflondon.com