Rosie Corriette

Notes from a retired blogger

Author: Rosie

  • Fashion Trends for Children

    Fashion Trends for Children

    Children and fashion don’t often go hand-in-hand, mostly because they end up growing out of their wardrobes so often it can be hard to keep up. Helping your child express themselves and look good, however, can be a crucial step towards building up their self-confidence and self-expression. Following fashion trends might seem like a waste of time for children, but the children’s trends are not like their adult counterparts. Rather than staple styles, children’s styles are more enduring, and are there to help your child grow and become an independent adult. That is why these fashion trends for children are here to stay:

    Photo by Marjorie Bertrand on Unsplash

     

    1. Androgynous Clothing

    Gone are the days when girls must wear pink and dresses, and boys must wear jeans. Now we are moving towards a more gender-fluid wardrobe, and it’s for the better. This doesn’t mean your daughter cannot be girly or your son look cute in a button-down shirt and a tie. It simply places emphasis on durability and comfort so that children can do what they do best: play. Androgynous clothing further promises to help your children play as they want to, rather than in the gender roles they see in society.

     

    1. Comfort and Durability

    If you can teach your children to value their clothes for as long as possible, you’ve taught them a good lesson. Compulsive shopping is a problem that many adults have, and their budget suffers as a result. That’s why you should always choose comfortable, durable items that will last well beyond your child. Donate them after your children grow out of their clothes and another family can have the opportunity to dress their children in great quality pieces.

     

    1. Flexibility

    Children love to play around and have fun. Wearing clothes that do not allow them to run around is just begging for trouble. That’s why choosing dresses that have shorts incorporated into them (also known as playsuits) can be great for girls and especially during special occasions. Similarly, choosing flexible and breathable fabrics can help playtime be more fun.

     

    1. Healthy Living

    Not every material will be appropriate for your children. Nickel in particular (a common metal found in most costume jewellery) causes skin irritation in many people around the world. Just because your daughter is allergic to nickel, however, doesn’t mean she cannot get her ears pierced. You can instead opt for earrings made of medical-grade plastic like these cute options offered at Blomdahl USA. Be open and communicate with your daughter why she has to have “special” jewellery, and she’ll be more conscious of the material and be safer as a result.

     

    The shifting ideology towards children’s fashion is to not dress to impress, but to dress them so that they can play, have fun, learn and grow. Little girls shouldn’t have to be frustrated at their tights falling down and about being inappropriate, and little boys shouldn’t have to worry about being “too girly.” Instead, they should be allowed to express themselves, but more importantly, they should be dressed for what they want to do. The more comfortable they are in their clothes, the more comfortable they can be in their own skin.

    Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.

  • Keeping Costs Down With Stagecoach | AD

    Keeping Costs Down With Stagecoach | AD

    Sometimes we think with our hearts and not with our heads. Making New Year’s resolutions can
    often be disastrous, with 80% of people failing by February and regretting it instantly. Like all resolutions the key to success is planning and checking in with yourself to see how you’re doing.

    We’re now in March – still can’t believe how quickly the year is going – and with the arrival of spring it’s the perfect time to see where we can make savings in the two of the biggest areas that we both spend money and have the ability to save.

    Photo by Sam F on Unsplash

    Travelling
    Start off with something small, but something that will make huge changes when it comes to
    your bank account. Using a megarider ticket, you will be able to travel as much as you want and
    can tailor your own needs to the ticket type. Whether you’re in need of a weekly bus pass for
    your travels, or a monthly one — you will find yourself making a huge saving in comparison to
    buying a ticket every day.
    If you’re a driver, did you know that the average motorist in the UK will spend an astonishing
    £168,880 over their lifetime?  When it comes to payments across the year, petrol costs a driver £1,052.04. Servicing a vehicle
    costs can add up to £441 over a twelve-month period — which can change depending on the
    individual’s situation. MOTs can cost up to £168.46 annually. Cost of parking is on the rise, a motorist can find themselves paying £145.80 on parking. When it comes to insurance, the average policy costs an experienced driver £436 every year. Tax can equate to £116.35 on
    a yearly basis. Car supplies can cost a driver £29.61. The list can go on and on –  commuters
    find themselves paying considerably less for a significant service.

    With efficiency growing in public transport, there is no better time to swap the car for public transport at least some of the time – why not set yourself a target of choosing to use public service for every fifth journey you make; you’ll be surprised at just how quickly the savings add up.

     

    Coffee
    According to research carried out by MyVoucherCode, people in the UK visit coffee shops at
    least three times per week — although it has recently become unavoidable, as currently there
    are over 21,000 outlets around the country! I’m hands down the worst at being able to resit the urge of a decaf, sugar free caramel, dairy free macchiato – yes I know it’s just a coffee but it’s more than that, you’re buying a lifestyle and the coffee shops not only know that but capitalise not that. With the average brit visiting coffee shops around 156 times per year with and average spend of over £8 that a minimum of £1200 per year – that’s an extra holiday for me and Boo – which when you look at it in black at white is precisiltey what I should be spending my money on and not coffees that I don’t really need.

    Thinking smarter for 2018 is a must, especially when you see just how much money you can save with only small tweaks to your everyday life and how they can have a big impact. How will you be changing your ways to save money?

    Disclosure: A fee was received for this post.

  • Choosing Motherhood as a Single Woman | AD

    “Just the one?” “No plans for anymore?” these are questions as a mother to one I get asked all the time – it’s as if one child could never be enough. Most of the time I do that nervous laugh we as Brits are famed for in a bid to move the conversation on. Occasionally I will reply with that it would be a bit hard to have another child seeing as I’m single – however even as I say it I’ll often think of how that’s no longer a barrier to motherhood. I’m always amazed at just how brazen and nosey people can be when it comes to your family set up. Gone are the days of the traditional 2.4 family set up being the only way – now families come in every shape and size. In my life I’ve been part of a blended family, single parent family, and as a parent I’ve been both a mother to Boo and a stepmother to her brothers. Families come in all shapes and sizes and thankfully there’s no ‘normal’ anymore.

    Having blogged as a mother for over six years I receive lots of messages from women who want to know what it is truly like to be a single parent; I’m always honest and explain how incredibly hard parenthood is regardless of whether there is one, two or even three of you raising a child. Yes many hands make light work but that really isn’t what having a baby is all about – only a very tiring side effect! One thing I’ve learnt from talking to a whole variety of women is that there are lots who have the feeling of: I want to be a mother but I’m single. For so many women the journey to motherhood is one they feel most follow a certain path and as any parent will tell you the rule book goes out the window as soon as baby arrives as you find your own way; so why should the road to becoming a parent be any different?

    Becoming a mother is the single most life changing and defining decision in my life. I love Boo with all that I am and all that I do – she is me and I her. Having started adulthood not wanting children (I was absolutely adamant that motherhood wasn’t for me!)  I understand that life and what we want from it changes. If you think about it, relationships have the capacity to come and go in your life but once you become a parent that bonds for life. If I had found myself single and wanting a baby I would be encouraged to learn how it’s possible; to become a single mum by choice – such an empowering message.

    single mum by choice

    I admire anyone who makes a conscious decision to seek out motherhood – I promise it will be the best thing you do and when a child calls out Mama they don’t care how you got to being their mother they just care you’re there and love everything about you.

    Disclosure: A fee was received for this post.

     

  • A Morning With My Mum and Not On The High Street

    A Morning With My Mum and Not On The High Street

    Mother’s Day is one of my favourite days to celebrate during the year – it’s the perfect time to say thank you to you Mum or Mum figure and as a mummy myself half the delight is seeing how much care and love puts into reminding me just how much she loves me. Not On The High Street think the same so invited me and my Mum, Victoria along to NOTHS House this for a morning of sweet treats and jewellery making with one of their partners, Kat and Bee Jewellery.

    #NOTHSMothersDay

    NOTHS believe that Mother’s Day is for all those who ‘mum’ be it step, grandparents, aunts, in-laws you name it they’ve got it covered when it comes to thoughtful Mother’s Day gifts this year; I particularly like the section for single mums, NOTHS not only ‘gets’ modern motherhood but are helping to champion it.

    We sat in groups and chatted away about how we were going to design and make our rings that also can be worn as pendants – loved how Alice and I’s mums got on as well as we do. Kat showed us how to make our rings from sizing, to wrapping wire and incorporating our chosen adornments into our design. Some got the hang of it much easier than others aka my Mum busted out her hidden talents for ring design and making and I resorted to putting my hand up for teacher guidance from Kat – who was all to happy to help.

    #NOTHSMothersDay

    It was amazing to learn that Kat puts so much into sourcing all the semi-precious stones, beads and all materials used travelling as far as Jaipur – getting the chance to chat with Kat gave me such an insight into her jewellery and made the pieces we made have such  a personal, special meaning. You can buy a jewellery making ring experience by Kat & Bee on NOTHS.

    #NOTHSMothersDay

    The result: the most beautiful rings if I may say so because meaning has everything as Kat says and every time I look at it, I’ll remember the fun I had with Mum making it.

    #NOTHSMothersDay #NOTHSMothersDay #NOTHSMothersDay

    Thank you so much to NOTHS and Kat & Bee Jewellery for a wonderful morning with my Mum to kick off this years’ Mother’s Day.

    #NOTHSMothersDay

  • How to Prepare for an Epic Family Road Trip

    Whether you’re setting off from your house or renting a car in a far-flung land, road trips are often the best way of exploring new countries at your own pace, taking in the surroundings from comfortable familiarity and enjoying the non-touristed, authentic destinations en route. It also works out far cheaper than package holidays, taxi hire, or coach tours. To make these odysseys into foreign fields a success, though, it pays to plan them with all eventualities and points of conflict at hand: read through this useful guide to preparing for the road trip of a lifetime.

    Photo by Evan Kirby on Unsplash

    Plan Your Accommodation 

    Whether you’re a military-style itinerary planner or hoping to go more with the flow, driving a tired family around at night with little idea of where you’ll be resting your heads is the road trip nightmare that’ll put you off ever doing another one. You can book ahead for meticulously-planned trips, or if you want to go at your own pace, drawing up a list of accommodation options on your route, perhaps noting them on Google Maps, will ensure you’ve always got a bed to look forward to.

     

    Think In-Car Entertainment

    To avoid the cry of ‘are we nearly there yet’ rattling around in your brain for the duration of your driving holiday, planning some methods to keep the kids entertained is a savvy pre-trip plan. It can mean anything from headrest-mounted screens and portable game consoles to books, puzzles and word games. You may want your children to be staring out of the window, sharing in the awe that you’re experiencing, but long spells in cars spell irritation for kids. Packing some ways to keep them busy will save you in-trip headaches.

    Don’t forget to keep the kids entertained by tales of what you’re going to do when you’ve reached your destination. Perhaps you’ll even give them the chance to get behind the driving wheel in their very own go kart! Reading go karts review will help you find the best one.

     

    Pack an Emergency Kit 

    It goes without saying that the safety of your family is paramount when taking to the roads for a holiday. Consider all the risks of your chosen destinations, from snow and ice in mountainous regions to the tyre-stressing heat of desert roads. Have a read through the essentials so that you’re not caught short with the family somewhere less than ideal – and you can count on the location of your driving mishap to be just that.

     

    Strike the Right Balance

    Epic road trips cross countries and continents, plateaux and mountain ranges. However, an eagerness to gobble up the miles will likely offset your family’s enjoyment of the trip: after all, you’re there to see the country not just from the confines of a car. It’s paramount to ensure you’ve got a plan that takes in regular breaks and rest days, as well as the hard-core drives that’ll get you from A to B. As road trip tip websites will tell you, there’s plenty to be found between A and B, you’ll just have to do your research to find it.

     

    Road trips are unique ways to see the world, but they can result in a fair amount of stress, panic and disaster if not properly thought through. To experience the bliss of the open road without surrendering your family to a regrettable experience, follow these guidelines for your next car-based travel endeavour.

     

    Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.