The first thing will need is a baby monitor. They have become much more high-tech than the traditional walkie talkie system! This one below videos your baby so you can watch them sleep, without the fear of waking them up! Some monitors now can call you if your child starts crying.

Feeding your child can challenging as you need to make sure their are getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need as well as the challenges that come with heating up their food safely. Well the gadget below helps with that as it is steams, blends, re-heats and defrosts all in a safe environment for your baby.

Bath-time can be stressful or upsetting for a newborn so make things easier with a purpose built baby bath. This one below has a small, soft spray motorised handheld shower as well as a soothing spa jet which can make bath-time more relaxing and fun.

Next you will need a towel to wash them. One of our favourite is the animal hooded towels which are so cute! They allow you to easily wrap your little one in the towel and then put up the hood to keep them warm.

Finally there are loads of advice and help out there for new mums and you have so many questions it can be difficult. Well there is an app to help. What to Expect is a site full of information to help guide you through pregnancy, looking after your baby and the toddler years. Download the app to your phone and ask it all the questions you have!

Are you a new mum? What gadget is making your life easier and you are enjoying using? Let us know…

This is evident in a recent video produced by the MultiCar insurance specialist Admiral titled “Kids say the funniest things…about cars”.  They and asked children aged 5 – 7 to share their thoughts on cars and motoring and let the camera roll. As you can see from the video the answers they got were quite funny, look out for the kid that wants to drive a blue car . . . with guns!

These kids are so cute, but it makes you worry about what things your own children say about your driving!

The kids were also asked to draw a picture of their dream car. From flying cars, to underwater cars, to cars with trampolines and sweet vending machines, the pictures they drew were very imaginative! Check out some of our favourites below:

Image Admiral Car Insurance via creative commons license

This design has plants, animals, a T.V. and even a trampoline! We’re not sure how easy it would be to drive with kids jumping about on a trampoline in the back.

Image Admiral Car Insurance via creative commons license

This kid has kept their design understated by adding simple features like a volcano, the sun, a lightsaber and a disco ball!

Even although these designs seem a bit crazy, an automotive design student was able to turn the children’s imaginative ideas into a reality. Check out the resulting design below, which flies, hovers using blue flame boosters, has heart-shape wheels with extendable legs so it can jump over other vehicles, outdoor speakers and a giant water pistol! We’re sure this car would be a massive hit if it was actually made!

You can view the entire album of children’s car designs via Admiral’s online gallery. Don’t forget to tell us which features you would like in your dream car!

What kinds of funny things do your children say? Leave us a comment to let us know!

March Sunshine

Scotland set new records for the highest ever recorded March temperature three days in a row. On Sunday 25th March, Fyvie castle in Aberdeenshire recorded 22.8C, beating a 55 year old record, but this was to be beaten the very next day at Cromden, near Grantown on Spey (23.2C). Amazingly, the run continued for a third day when Aboyne in Aberdeenshire set a new record of 23.6C.

Scotland was hotter than many parts of Europe at that time, even beating Athens, Bermuda, Cairo, Lisban and Rome.

All in all, March was declared the third warmest, the fifth driest and third sunniest on record by the Met office.

April Showers

If March was hot, then April was cold and wet. Temperatures plummeted and snow fell in the north of England and the Midlands. Badminton Horse Trials was also cancelled for only the second time in its history due to a waterlogged course.

April was a month of severe weather warnings and flooding, particularly in the south on the country. In fact, it was the wettest April in over 100 years, almost double the long term average, yet swathes of the country were still officially in drought.

June Misery

We’re now nearly at the end of June and it is set to be another record breaker for all the wrong reasons. So far, it is the third wettest in UK records with an average of 4.8 inches falling – one and a half times the usual amount. Parts of the country are also suffering flooding once again.

This month though, the weather has not been consistent across the country. Whilst England and Wales have suffered their second wettest Junes on record, Scotland has only had slightly more rain than usual. This is due to the jetstream being positioned more southerly than usual, allowing systems to flow over the UK rather than to the north.

Do you think these extremes of weather are due to climate change? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Image by: barbourians

Many of us are tired of all the hallmark holidays that appear every couple of weeks. There is always reason to give thanks to people who have given to you all your life. In today’s business world these are seen as opportunities to make a quick buck. So we thought it would be interesting to look back and see where the idea of Father’s Day came from.

It is believed that Father’s Day was first celebrated all the way back in Spokane, Washington in 1910. The idea of Father’s Day came, surprisingly, from Mother’s Day that pre-dated  Father’s Day by around a decade. It is important to note that Mother’s Day wasn’t an official holiday until 1914. Father’s Day became an official holiday in 1966.

As mentioned before these holidays have become much more gift orientated and that leads to the question – how much do I spend? The truth is that the thought behind the present is much more important than its monetary value. But a survey company has carried out some research and found some interesting figures behind the gift giving on Father’s Day.

The surveys showed that although the holiday is very popular 30% of respondents do not celebrate it at all. There may be many factors affecting this number but that is still a fairly large proportion that do not celebrate. From the respondents that did celebrate Father’s Day 20% felt that giving him a call to wish him a happy Father’s day was enough while 29% made the effort to meet up with him in person.

Looking at the monetary value that people think is respectable 44% of participants believed that Father’s Day gifts do not need to be of monetary value. And from the survey the results showed that the largest proportion of respondents (13%) believed that spending between £10 – £20 was adequate for getting a gift.

So perhaps people are not too caught up in the monetary gift giving that has become a staple of holidays that hallmark has created. Father’s Day is this Sunday so you still have time to make, buy something. We have put together a bundlr to try and give you a bit of inspiration.

Do you celebrate Father’s Day? If so what are you going to be getting him this year? Any advice or comments please leave in the comments section below.

World Environment Day 2012

Now while World Environment Day may be most promoted in schools and academic sectors, it has a presence in the greater public arena too:

“World Environment Day celebration began in 1972 and has grown to become the one of the main vehicles through which the UN stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action.”

At present, there are over 9,000 activities registered on the World Environment Day website where people are gathering together to increase awareness over environmental issues and conserving resources to protect the environment. The initiative says:

“Through World Environment Day, the UN Environment Programme is able to personalize environmental issues and enable everyone to realize not only their responsibility, but also their power to become agents for change in support of sustainable and equitable development.

World Environment Day is also a day for people from all walks of life to come together to ensure a cleaner, greener and brighter outlook for themselves and future generations.” World Environment Day website

The theme for 2012 is ‘green economy’ which aims to increase awareness of environmental issues by focusing on a better well-being for people living on the planet in a way that protects the environment at the same time. This is something to keep in mind when you try and make changes to your lifestyle for the good of the environment.

Image: Pinned by Sulekha Lifestyle via she.sulekha.com on Pintrest

Making small changes

How can we make changes to participate in protecting the environment? Well according to Nirmala for sulekha.com, there are various things we should be doing actively every day not only for the environment but also for all the people that live in it:

“We all definitely owe our duty to our fellow human beings on earth and to the generations that are to follow to preserve nature; let’s lend our hands with planting trees, conserving water, fuel, electricity and the environment. Let’s join the plastic elimination revolution and make a vow to not damage environment. It is not the effort of one alone; joining movements and organizations that protect the environment, conserve wildlife & save our planet would help in the great cause.” Nirmala for sulekha.com

There are lots of small changes you can make with this in mind:

• Transport: by joining a lift club to reduce your carbon emissions or even just switching off your engine -instead of letting it run whilst waiting for various reasons- you can make a significant impact on how you affect the environment and it’s air system.
• Re-use bags: Instead of buying non-biodegradable plastic supermarket bags every time you shop, rather invest in some durable ‘for life’ bags made of strong plastic or cloth so that you can use them every time you go to the supermarket. Plastic bags when thrown out may very well outlive you on  a beach or shrub land somewhere and they could be a choking hazard to animals that live in these areas.
• Electricity and gas: Ofgem has ordered the ‘big six’ UK energy suppliers to overhaul gas and electricity tariffs or face the first mandatory price cap in a decade so this is a great time to consider switching providers. The ‘big 6‘, such as npower, provide various offers on electricity and gas  and this can help you to be more conscientious when you sign up for ammenities provision as well as save money at the same time. By monitoring your energy usage and applying various energy saving tactics to your lifestyle you can make a huge impact on how your lifestyle affects the environment. You can also make household changes such as insulating your loft to avoid valuable warmth escape which increases your energy needs. Watch the video below on how to do this:

Tell us what little or big changes you are making to your lifestyle to be more environment friendly. Just leave us a comment in the comment section below to start a discussion!

For some of us with persistent medical problems or health complaints conventional medicine may not be able to offer a solution. Many people across the world sing the praises of alternative health treatments and complementary therapies to treat all types of illness – from eczema to back pain.

Harness the power of plants with herbalism, or use the ancient healing powers of acupuncture to recover from illness. With such a wide variety of alternative medicines on offer it can be difficult to know which is right for you. A qualified practitioner should be able to advise you on the best course of treatment, but first here is a brief introduction to some of the most popular therapies around…

Image: Pinned by Laura Namey on Pintrest

Acupuncture

Originating in ancient China, acupuncture therapy uses tiny, thin needles inserted to specific points in the body depending on the ailment treated.

According to those who practise acupuncture, it can correct imbalances of the flow of qi – or life energy – through the channels known as meridians.

Studies have shown acupuncture to be particularly good for pain relief and also to alleviate post-operative nausea.

Image: Pinned by Jenna Snyder on Pintrest

Herbalism
Much like many mainstream medicines, herbalism - also known as botanical medicine – uses plants to treat all sorts of health problems, ranging from hormonal to skin problems.

Visiting a Medical Herbalist involves a run-down of your full medical history, taking into account allergies, diet, lifestyle and family history. They may also ask for urine or blood samples and take your blood pressure.

Following a full discussion, your practitioner will make up a herbal prescription to help your symptoms and book you in for a follow up to assess your progress.

Image: Pinned by Christine Collins on Pintest

Homeopathy

Homeopathy works on that basis that you treat like with like – so the patient is given a highly diluted substance which contains a small amount of a substance to trigger the bodies healing response.

Use homeopathy to treat a number of chronic problems, such as allergies and rheumatic diseases.

Reiki

Reiki is a hands-on type of healing, which come from Japan and is said to be a very relaxing process. Your reiki practitioner can perform the treatment while you are fully clothed and will non-intrusively place their hands on various parts of your body, corresponding to the chakras.

Try Reiki to ease stress levels, reduce anxiety and deal with physical pain.

Image: Pinned by Amy Naranjo on Pintrest

Craniosacral Therapy

In a craniosacral therapy session, the practitioner will work on the dural membranes – fluid which connects all of the cranial bones – by gently placing their hands on the patients clothed body. Crainosacral therapy is practised by a number of professionals including physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors and massage therapies.

Crainosacral therapy can help neck and back pain, stress, migraines, and chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia.

While for many alternative therapies may be a last resort, they should also be considered on their own merits and are a wonderful way to maintain excellent health and wellbeing in the long run. Being seen privately can be expensive, although check your health insurance policy to see if any types of treatment are covered, and remember many practitioners run special offers to make treatment more affordable.

Image via Spec-ta-cles on Flickr

A recent study commissioned by lastminute.com and neuropsychologist Dr David Lewis suggests that our brains today operate 4 times faster than those of previous generations. In large part this is due to advances in technology and a more hectic pace of life that requires us to process large amounts of information constantly – our brains have simply adapted to the task. So if you’ve ever felt that most modern technology is simply lost on your parents, this may explain why.

Dr Lewis explains the change this way: “Our brains have had to adapt to modern life over the past decade, they’ve developed into a parallel structure rather than a sequential one. This means we can think about, and process, more than one piece of information at any given time rather than just being able to focus on one after another.

“Research strongly suggests that digital experiences have changed the structure of the brain and, in turn, affected the way we think and digest information – it has changed the cognitive process and, as such, caused the brain’s synapses to change to help deal with modern day life.”

The change hasn’t gone unnoticed, however – according to the research, 74% of Britons feel that their lives have become faster paced over the last decade, and 51% say this has made them masters of multitasking. Interestingly, women seem to be adapting more quickly to the realities of modern life, with 62% saying they are expert multitaskers, compared with only 40% of men. Women have long claimed that they are better at doing two things at once – this may finally offer some proof!

66% attribute the change to the rise of modern technology, especially smartphones, tablets, and other devices which keep us constantly connected to the wider world and its demands. 44% of the respondents also blame social media, citing websites like Twitter and Facebook that lure us into a perpetual stream of chatter. However, Dr Lewis notes that it is the rise of the digital world that has led us to become a type of thinker he calls the “Digital Native”.

“People raised within a digital age think differently from previous generations. They develop hypertext minds that leap around. Digital Natives are more visually literate and can process images and things they see more rapidly, compared to their older counterparts.  You only need to look at the average scene length of modern day movies to see how fast our brains are working. Forty years ago the average scene length was a good few minutes long and allowed the brain to slowly process the information in sequence. Nowadays, scene lengths are much shorter – this chopping and changing is a great reflection of the how the brain of Digital Natives processes information.”

A significant percentage of people also report that they are eating more quickly than they were two years ago (30%) and that they work and/or type at a faster rate (26%). 12% say they even speak more quickly – everyone is in a hurry to get their message across, which also relates to the rise of text speak.

We’re also leaving things to the last minute more than ever before – from domestic duties and social obligations, to booking flights for your holiday. Click on the interactive diagram below to see the types of things people are leaving to the last minute:

All this hurry does have an impact on our mental health and peace of mind, however – 36% of respondents report feeling panicky about leaving things until the last minute, while 42% are scared they’ll forget things if they don’t do them right away.

What do you tend to leave until the last minute? Vote in our poll below, then compare your response with others!

Image humberpike via creative Commons License

Our Queen has just finished making her very important speech! So did you watch it?

This year’s speech was considerably shorter than normal. She mentioned roughly 15 bills but under previous governments she would often discuss around 40.

There was a bit of commotion before the Queen’s Speech when Dennis Skinner comes out with his traditional quip:

Skinner goes with “Jubilee year, double-dip recession, what a start.” Yawn. #MustTryHarder bit.ly/KlgafE

— Seph Brown (@SephRBrown) May 9, 2012

The queen started her speech by saying :

My ministers’ first priority will be to reduce the deficit and restore economic stability.

Which caused a bit of concern since in the last Queen’s Speech she said: “The first priority is to reduce the deficit and restore economic growth.” Many people are speculating that the government are trying to lower people’s expectations.

If you missed the Queen’s Speech then you can find out about the main things she talked about via our Queen’s Speech Storify.

What are your thoughts on the speech? Leave a comment below.

Picture taken by Sam Harries

The crowds are lining the streets as the Queen and Prince Philip visit Exeter today as part of the Royal Diamond Jubilee celebration tour of the UK.

Events and performances have been going on since 9am to entertain the people already waiting patiently for her to arrive. We could hear the bands playing and live performances from our offices here in Exeter.

Source: @ExeterCityNPT

She arrived in Princesshay Square at around midday to much cheering and applause. The band played a piece of music and she then did a walkabout and some children were lucky enough to meet her and hand her some flowers.  She is also due to open the University of Exeter’s new Forum development today.

Source: AnnabHospicecare

The Queen last visited Exeter in 1949 when the city was being rebuilt after the World War II bombings.

Did you see the Queen in Exeter today?