bringing up charlie

Oranges and Lemons

2012-01-27T10:38:00.000Z

I spent a very pleasant day in London last weekend at this:

I'll tell you more about it in another post. I learnt an awful lot about backs, the cause of back problems, and how to avoid them (the problems, that is, not the backs). For now, just try brushing your teeth while standing on one leg.

Anyway, I had a bit of time on my hands before heading for home and as I wandered along the Strand I happened on St Clement Danes Church. This is one of two London churches claiming to be the inspiration for the nursery rhyme (the other is St Clement's, Eastcheap) and the story goes that the association with citrus fruit comes from both from the docks that were once nearby and the fact that porters used Clement Danes as a short-cut to a nearby fruit market. In fact, no lesser source than Charles Dickens claims that the church charged them a small toll for the privilege, and Clement Danes still holds an annual 'Oranges and Lemons' service as well as playing - as you'll soon see - the rhyme on its carillon daily.

Unfortunately, the truth behind the famous nursery rhyme (first recorded by Playford in 1665 though almost certainly older) is rather less wholesome. For the bells of the various London churches mark in music the journey of a condemned man from the river to his execution at Newgate gaol. Hence the rather macabre (and little performed) ending to the nursery rhyme:

Here is the candle to light you to bed,
And here is the chopper to chop of your head.

Of course, Newgate gaol never did have a chopper. It had the gallows. But that doesn't rhyme.

Anyway, enjoy the tune. And if you want to find out more about the murky origins of those nursery rhymes we love to teach our children I've a copy of Albert Jack's excellent Pop Goes the Weasel: The Secret Meanings of Nursery Rhymes to give away. Just leave me a 'pick me' comment below. And don't forget to brush your teeth on one leg.

Do dads raise more adventurous kids?

2012-01-25T10:22:00.000Z

Just over a week ago I was contacted by someone on behalf of Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, about their Free Range Kids campaign. The idea of the campaign is that children today should be able to do the things their parents took for granted, such as cycle to school, play football in the street and, well, have a free range childhood.

As someone who took for granted the freedom to go AWOL all day in the summer - returning home only when hungry - I was immediately interested. I'm a firm believer that risks - calculated risks - have to be taken and that children who are wrapped in cotton wool, kept free from all dangers are more likely to come a cropper later. But here's an intriguing question: do 'free range' kids do even better if they're lucky enough to have a 'hands on' rough-and-tumble, spirit of adventure father. In other words, do dads raise more adventurous kids?

That's what former stay-at-home dad Noah Fagan, an architect from Bristol, thinks. Here's his guest post.

Watching my son scale the ‘big kids’ climbing frame in the park last weekend - while his friend quivered at the bottom - a sly smile spread across my face. My three-year-old has got to be one of the ballsiest kids I know. And I like to think I’ve played a key role in that because for 16 months, I was a stay at home Dad.

Back in 2008, I was lucky enough to be made redundant three weeks before Isaac was born. I say lucky, because what followed was nearly two years of working for myself, from home, which also meant spending a lot of time with my family – something many ‘big business’ dads miss out on. My wife works for herself too, so we fell into a blissful, if slightly impoverished, ‘new-bohemia’ where whoever had work was at the desk while the other one did childcare. In general though, when it came to the physical stuff like swimming or the park, the responsibility fell to me.

Isaac has never showed any fear in the playground and I’ve never discouraged him. He was one of the few kids that could climb the ladder by the time he was 18 months. He jumped off the top of it when he was 20 months! While mums in the play area twittered around their kids, telling them things were ‘too high’ or ‘scary’ for them to attempt, I’d be giving Isaac a leg up to the fireman’s pole. As a result, he’s the first to throw himself into the pool each Saturday, the last to cry if he gets pushed in the playground – even a bee sting didn’t elicit any tears.

This success, in my opinion, hasn’t been without criticism from others– and I hate to say it, but mainly women. ‘There is a road there!’ one woman yelled a couple of weeks ago, as Isaac ran along in front of me happily. ‘I know, and he’ll stop when he gets to it,’ I smiled. ‘You hope!’ she hissed, rolling her eyes. Another lady, about a year ago in the park, kindly ‘helped’ my son off the top of the slide. ‘He was about to go head first!’ she chuckled nervously, handing a – by now – screaming toddler over to me. ‘That’s how he likes it,’ I smiled politely, putting him right back on. You see, while I’ve been keen for Isaac to explore his limits, I’ve always been there in case he crossed them. He knows to stop when he gets to the road, because I taught him to do so. He’s not afraid to ask for help if he climbs too high, because I’ve shown him there is no shame in knowing when to back down. He’s not a hard nut or a future adrenalin freak, he’s just a boy whose sense of adventure has been pandered too, not discouraged.
Last year UK charity Sustrans launched their Free Range Kids campaign in an attempt to encourage parents to let their kids play outside, and other roads users to be more responsible as a result. We want our two boys to cycle to school, to walk the streets with their mates. I don’t want my teenagers to be stuck in the house playing the Wii because they don’t know any different, and I worry the UK has fallen foul to a cotton wool culture, where our fear-driven attempts to keep kids safe are actually limiting their childhoods, maybe even putting them in harm’s way.

Last week, my wife brought Isaac back from the park, covered in mud from the zip slide. Apparently they spent ten minutes trying to encourage his friend to give it a go, but to no avail. ‘His mum said to me, “aren’t you afraid Isaac might be a racing driver or something?” And I said how cool that would be!’ my wife laughed. So, on reflection, maybe Isaac’s dare devil persona isn’t all down to me – but there is one very unscientific test we could try... Eli, son number two, is six months old and being raised primarily by my wife. If he’s not leaping from the playground ladder by his first birthday, I’m going to claim victory. Watch this space...

Do you want an environment that encourages kids to be active? Signing Sustrans' pledge is a quick and easy action you can take if you agree. Visit www.sustrans.org.uk/freerangekids

A rubbish post

2012-01-23T11:28:00.000Z

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Well in my case the good intentions usually consist of something to do with recycling, reducing my carbon footprint, reusing stuff instead of throwing it away or otherwise reducing the harm done to the environment. The hell - on earth - will be what's left of our planet if we don't.

So I've signed up for Karen Cannard's Rubbish Diet challenge. Over the next eight weeks I'm going to slim my bin. And I've already begun this morning by doing this...

Ok, not much; I'm sure the planet isn't going to feel the benefit just yet. But it's a start. And I'm hoping there'll be more. Karen's site - The Rubbish Diet - contains a whole host of ideas. There's surely something, however small, that everyone can do. I'm not sure I shall be able to meet the challenge of having a zero waste week at the end of the eight-week programme, but I'm determined to do something to slim that bin.

Fancy doing something similar? You can find out more about it right here, and there's a post launching the eight-week challenge published this morning.

If we all did something, anything, however small...

...there'd be less work for the bin-men for a start.

Win an LG Optimus 3D Black

2012-01-19T09:47:00.001Z

A while ago, thanks to Tesco Mobile I ran a competition to win an LG Optimus 3D smartphone. All you had to do was leave a comment with your favourite money-saving tip, the connection of course being that Tesco Mobile Capped Contracts are designed to give you complete control of your mobile spending, eliminating any unexpected surprises in your monthly bill.

Well, it proved so popular they're offering another. This time there's an LG Optimus 3D Black up for grabs, boasting 'crystal-clear, eye-popping 3D imagery' and well as 'dual core, dual channel and dual memory technology.' Here's what it looks like:

And here's what you have to do to get your hands on it. Simply share your favourite New Year money-saving resolutions. It could be something short-term, designed to help ease the pain of all that Christmas spending. Or it could be a top tip designed to last the whole year. And it doesn't have to be anything to do with mobile phones either! (Although feel free to share any mobile tips you've got.)

You can find out more about Tesco Mobile Capped Contracts by having a look at their latest TV advert. In the meantime, get those money saving resolutions rolling and the first thing you might be saving is a cool £420, which is the price of the Optimus, sim-free. The competition closes at midnight on Saturday 21st January and I'll be announcing the winner on Sunday.

This competition is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Get smart

2012-01-16T11:58:00.000Z

With winter well and truly upon us and energy prices eating more of the family budget it makes sense to be savvy about your home heating bills. Add to that the environmental benefits of energy efficiency and the case is pretty well unanswerable. Most people know all about the need for decent insulation and the like but how many are aware of the benefits of a smart meter? British Gas has asked me to help spread the word, and I'm happy to oblige. This short video will tell you how smart meters work and what's in it for you in having one installed.

British Gas has been rolling them out across the UK for a while now and over 400,000 homes and businesses are already seeing the advantages. They're hoping this will grow to around 1.5 million by the end of 2012 and I'm certainly hoping to be one of them. There's something very powerful about knowing precisely how much energy you're using when you put the kettle on, or when the telly's left on standby; and having a meter that sends readings automatically seems, well... smart!

For more information have a look at the British Gas smart meter site and the British Gas Facebook page.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of British Gas

A Dirty Movie

2012-01-12T10:43:00.002Z

You like it dirty? Do you? really? Well then this ain't the post for you! This is clean and mean and probably lean. This is what to do with your carpets after the Christmas invasion. This is what to do after the relatives have been.

When I was asked to try the Vax Ultra Rapide carpet washer I confess I was a little sceptical. Not, I should point out, of its undoubted ability to suck the grime from even the grubbiest carpet. No. But at our need for such a thorough, deep pile de-dirt device.

How wrong can you be?

I can now say with complete conviction that not only does the Vax clean, not only is it child's play to use, not only does it dry incredibly quickly, but my carpets needed it. Oh, how they needed it. So now, with all the zeal of a convert, I'm about to Vax the whole house. I'll Vax yours too if you ask me. For a small fee. Maybe.

In the meantime, want to see a dirty movie?

An open letter to PRs everywhere

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000Z

I was supposed to be in London today, providing blogger input at a PR seminar. The invitation flattered me by talking of my 'expert input'' and asking me to help them 'refine and improve the way we communicate with media and bloggers'.

I thought about it, decided there was plenty I could say and duly made the arrangements to go. Then the warning bells started ringing. First, came an email saying they were 'keen to catch up with the rest of the team before finally confirming this'; then came a 'phone call revealing that the day hadn't been confirmed and was likely to change. Finally, I was told that the changes meant my presence was no longer required.

Now, I'm not one to sulk. (Not often.) I'm quite happy in the knowledge that some invites come my way and others don't. It doesn't bother me that some bloggers get invited to things I'm not asked to attend. What does bother me is being invited to something and accepting only to be told - having made childcare arrangements, for example - that the whole thing is off. Worse, that it's not off but that - in spite of fulsome we would love you to attend-s and please tell us what you think about PRs-s, in spite of being sent a schedule, a location and specific time and date, in spite of receiving (unsolicited) a wholly unambiguous invitation detailing the kind of blogger input they require, input I was capable and willing to provide - the event is going ahead, just not as planned. Thank you and goodnight.

At first, I thought it might be my misunderstanding. So I re-checked all the emails. Not only weren't they 'round robins' (I began to wonder if they'd done a blogger beauty parade and found me lacking) but they were specific and direct. It was me they wanted. And they wanted me for a very specific purpose. Until they didn't. No, this wasn't my misunderstanding at all. This was someone at best being cavalier with my time and schedule or at worst making up a brief 'on the hoof' and sending invites only to find it wasn't what the bosses wanted at all.

Which isn't really good enough.

So, here's what I would have said if I'd been there. Here's what I'd like to say to PRs everywhere. I like working with PRs. Most of them are really good. But clearly, some need just a little help. It is at hand.

Rule 1: Know what you want.
I know the design of a PR campaign is your area of expertise rather than mine, but I could save some of you a lot of time (not to mention money) with this simple rule. While most firms are now reasonably blogger-savvy, some still seem to think that sending of an email with press release attached is like pushing an enormous button marked 'go' on a blogger's head, sending them scurrying straight to the the lap-top. (Here's our latest press release - now blog about it.) Basically, you ought to consider why I should bother reading about your latest book/product/outreach programme or whatever. That way, when you tell me about it, I'll know (a) that you've read the blog and you know who I am, and (b) whether anyone else who reads this might be interested.

Rule 2: Know your incentive
There's nothing worse than toddling along to an event only to find vague promises of 'traffic' being pushed to our blogs being dangled as a carrot. To be honest, I don't really care how you 'incentivise' us. But please don't insult us by assuming we can bask in the reflected glory of your or your client's website. And don't use the word 'incentivise'.

Rule 3: Be specific
I like knowing where I'm going, when, and what I'm doing when I get there. I don't like being told, on arrival, that part of the day will be spent (in groups - horror!) deciding what we should be doing. It's a waste of everybody's time. I'll gladly help you decide if you'd like. I'm good at that kind of thing. But not on the day. Time is short. Things need to happen.

Rule 4: Don't assume
We blog, but it's not all we do. We have lives, diaries, commitments, meetings, schedules just like you do. We can't (well, I can't and I suspect I'm not alone) simply 'drop everything' for an event you're organising. Nor can we easily pick it all up again if you decide you don't want us. We need notice. And we need a commitment. If you want us to put ourselves out for you then make sure it's going to happen.

Rule 5: Be realistic
Although I like to think that my posts will have a global reach and I can therefore help you deliver your message to the masses, let's be realistic about it. And don't instruct me to post three times at a specific time with a prescribed number of backlinks and then tweet about it on the hour, every hour for the next three days using a ridiculous range of hashtags. Speaking as a reader, they're the posts I never bother with. Let me do what I can and let me do it my way. There'll be some quality 'engagement' (as you people like to call it) and that'll be that. Tomorrow's a whole new PR campaign.

So, there you have it. I hope the PRs our there find it useful. And if you've got any more tips of your own, please do add them in the comment box below. I'm sure they'd be happy to hear them.

Dance Together Dinosaurs

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000Z

'Strictly Come Dancing meets Jurassic Park.' That's how Jane Clarke's latest children's picture book has been described. It's a toe-tapping tale with a twist as a host of dinosaurs compete against each other in a dancing competition. But why do the judges keep disappearing?

You'll have to read the book to find out. But I'm delighted to say that children's author Jane Clarke is here today to provide the answers to some different questions - about her writing, her ideas and collaborating with illustrators among other things.

If, like me, you've ever admired the verve and skill of those bedtime stories that are your nightly reading then the chance to ask one of the people behind some of the most popular children's titles of recent years just what it takes was too good to resist. I voluntarily restricted myself to half-a-dozen questions, although I could've gone on all afternoon. Anyway, here's what Jane had to tell me.

What inspired you to begin writing books for children? Where have subsequent ideas for stories come from - is there a consistent source of inspiration or is each book different?

Over 10 years ago, I was working in a school library reading stories, and helping children select books. A little girl called Jasmine asked me week after week if I had a book that was about 'a princess, rabbits and shopping.' She was so persistent that in the end I made up a story for her, and that opened the floodgates for loads of other boys and girls to ask me to create stories for them to order. It was a lot of fun and eventually I started writing down stories and went on courses, learning the craft from wonderfully generous people like Pat Hutchins and Tony Bradman. Subsequent ideas have often come from family experiences and I've had great pleasure turning my sons into elephants, sharks, dinosaurs and other assorted wildlife.

Some people seem to think that writing books for children is something of an easy option. How 'easy' is it compared to other forms of writing?

I've never tried other forms of writing, but I suspect that finding the idea for a children's book is as difficult for a children's writer as for an author of adult fiction. But I have to admit, I don't need to spend that many hours sitting on my bottom actually writing it :-)

You've produced well over twenty books over the course of the last ten or so years. Do you have you a set writing 'routine' or is your approach flexible?

I'm most productive in the morning, so I try and write then and do office work later . It's great to get out on author visits to school and I always try to seize the moment if something interesting comes up. Working for myself means I can always make up for it by writing at weird hours of the night if I have a deadline.

You've also worked with a variety of illustrators in your career, including Charles Fuge and now Lee Wildish. How much influence do children's authors have over the choice of illustrator and what is the secret of a successful collaboration?

The publishers choose the illustrator, and I've been very lucky to be paired with such talented illustrators who bring the idea to life and enhance it in so many ways. I think the secret of a successful collaboration is for the author to be flexible enough to adapt their text to the illustrators work once the pictures start coming in.

Several of your books have a nautical flavour or setting (I'm thinking the 'Gilbert' titles and things like 'Eye, Eye, Captain and Sherman Swaps Shells). Is the sea important to you in some way or is this just coincidental?

Coincidental - but I do love the sea and am lucky enough to live close to it. Today it's a lot greyer and stormier than a picturebook ocean!

Finally, what advice would you give a would-be children's author? And - on a similar note - what's the single most important thing you've learned in your career?

The answer is the same to both - write with joy and enjoy the process.

Jane's latest book - with fantastic illustrations by Lee Wildish -was published yesterday by Red Fox Picture Books (ISBN-13: 978-1849410137) is available now priced £5.99 in bookshops, on Amazon and at The Book Depository.

It's a bedtime boogie!

One Born Every Minute

2012-01-04T09:30:00.000Z

A little over a year ago - weeks before the birth of Eloise - we were contacted by the producers of this Channel Four series and asked if we'd like to take part. They were looking for couples with a baby due before or after Christmas and we certainly fitted the bill. The series followed couples as they prepared for the big day right up to the birth itself and made for fascinating viewing. We declined the invitation to take part ourselves, which was probably just as well as in the event things moved so quickly that I doubt even the swiftest camera crew could have got anywhere near the hospital in time. We nearly didn't make it and my wife barely got her trousers off!

There's a new series of One Born Every Minute starting this tonight and it promises to be every bit as good as the first. This year they're looking to recruit bloggers to add their personal stories and you can find details of how to get involved over on the Netmums blog.

Tonight's first episode is all about dads - a subject clearly very close to my own heart - and follows the progress of two dads-to-be as they prepare for their new arrival. Future episodes include one on pain and another on women who 'break the rules'. The series is on Wednesday nights at 9pm on Channel 4 and available to watch online at www.channel4.com/oneborn.

In the event, of course, we made it. All was well. And this was the result. A little girl in something of a hurry!

Summoned by bells

2012-01-02T19:48:00.002Z

So, that's that. School tomorrow (or work) for many and the wonderful, leisurely (who am I kidding?) relaxing (you've got to be joking!) holidays yield once more to the demands of the clock, the boss, the bus and the school bell.

But not for us. I've said before I'd happily never have to undergo the imposition of industrial time again. Twenty years of being 'summoned by bells' whether they be the alarm clock or those infernal things in school corridors is enough for anyone.

I like not having a set routine. I like having the flexibility, with Charlie, to follow our instincts creatively. So he asks about the moon: we'll find out all about it. He wants to know why birds fly. I teach him the principles of aeronautics. (Well, I try.) I know we'll soon have to bend to the unyielding rhythm of the school day; his honeymoon period is already almost over and the nursery he goes to is gently preparing him for all that the classroom will require of him. But I still think it's a shame.

Ask yourself this: why do we do it this way? The answer's simple, of course. It couldn't happen if we didn't. We need an educated workforce and the factory model of teaching children is the one we've used since the start of universal education. And back in the day, when a kid left school at 12 or 14 he or she would certainly have had to be fully trained in the art of time-keeping. Woe-betide if you were late for your shift!

But I wonder, in the future, how many of the kids in Charlie's class will work a nine-to-five day like so many now do. Increasing numbers work flexibly from home (as, I suppose, I do); the Henley Centre predicts that in a few years time we'll almost all have portfolio careers - basically a succession of short-term contracts - where one of the most highly marketable of employee skills will be the proven ability to work flexibly.

And that includes, of course, being flexible with time. Routine is good, don't get me wrong. I like to enforce a decent bedtime and we don't drop everything and start eating the moment we get hungry. But a healthy dose of flexibility won't do anyone any harm now, especially when the next thirteen years of education will be so rigidly inflexible.

So good luck to all those back-to-school and work tomorrow. As it's not nursery, we'll be home as usual and I'll be trying to make sure Charlie enjoys his last few months of freedom as flexibly as possible.

Stop press: to hear my contribution to the discussion on this subject on the BBC Radio Five Live Breakfast Show this morning, click the image below and fast forward to 1:40.

So, that was Christmas...

2011-12-30T15:08:00.001Z

Well, not quite of course. As all good students of the church calendar will know, the season ('to be jolly, fa la la la la' etc.) doesn't actually end until January 6th (first of Epiphany, when the Three Wise Men finally get to give their gifts). And as that is also, in fact, Orthodox Christmas Day it's an excellent excuse to do the whole thing all over again should you want to. And if you should (want to do the whole thing again) here are a few things you might want to do differently. Especially if you're me.

Christmas Eve
Lovely as it is to listen the the Nine Lessons and Carols on the wireless broadcasting machine, simultaneously tweeting the lessons and the words of carols can be something of a distraction. Mind you, being on Twitter did reveal the most enormous, presumptuous arrogance of the BBC Radio Four feed in allocating the hashtag #BBC9LC - thus appropriating the entire event rather than the mere transmission of it to my living room. Now this is serious. If merely broadcasting something to the nation entitles one to take the credit for the event and assume kind of ownership then we should all worry, from the grandest to the humblest. I did search the twitter feed for #BBCHMQSpeech the following day but to no avail. The pinkos at BBC HQ must've got cold feet after my warning tweets the day before.

Christmas Day
With three children in the house ranging in age from thirteen years to a little under twelve months you'd not expect the eldest to be the one sitting at the foot of your bed at six-thirty in the morning drumming her fingers and impatiently waiting for the others to wake up. Top tip: take the eldest to Midnight Mass the night before. That way he or she will be as knackered as you are at six-thirty not having got to bed until two-thirty that morning.

Christmas Lunch
If you plan to play an excellent practical joke on your ex (having invited her round for lunch) ensure it doesn't get forgotten in the kitchen chaos of Christmas cooking. Having enjoyed a starter of prawn cocktail washed down by a suitably impertinent sauvignon, it had been my intention to put this before the mother of my eldest while simultaneously filling everyone else's plate with generous slices of goose. But I forgot.

Christmas afternoon
It's a mistake to leave the bulk of the present-opening until Christmas afternoon - especially after spending all morning in the kitchen. Inevitably the effort expended and alcohol consumed will result in a postprandial stupor of immense proportions and one will miss the kids opening most of their presents as well as completely forget who sent what to whom, making 'thank you' notes a tad difficult to write.

Boxing Day
(Otherwise known as the Feast of Stephen.) A walk is essential. Indeed, any form of exercise is de rigueur. Just be careful how much and how vigorous and for how long. Especially after all that Christmas pudding. The day after Christmas Day isn't the celebration of the first ever Christian martyr for nothing. Oh, and while we're about it, Wenceslas wasn't even a King (a Duke merely, or Earl. But that doesn't have quite the same ring, does it?)

The Third Day of Christmas
Your true love might or might not have gifted you three French hens (...he or she might not have given you anything at all - mine didn't. But then, I didn't give her anything either. We agreed in advance we'd go to the Opera instead next year!) but if the pile of presents beneath our tree is anything to go by, there'll still be plenty to open. In fact, staggered opening can be useful for a variety of reasons (see Christmas Day, above) and gives the recipient of tender years time to get to grips with each new toy in turn (and onlookers of more advanced years time enough to extract from all the packaging, install the batteries and retire to a quiet corner with another beer).

The Fourth Day of Christmas
By now, your goose (in our case) will be well and truly cooked. So for goodness sake take it out of the oven and start eating it!

The Fifth Day of Christmas
Five Gold Rings? Really? That's one for each finger. Lucky you.

The Sixth Day of Christmas
Did you know all swans in this realm of ours belong to Her Royal Majesty the Queen of Elizabeth? The self-same whose Christmas Day address to the Nation next year will almost certainly be appropriated by the BBC in its twitter-feed? So here's another Yuletide tip from the top - no swans whether a-swimming or otherwise on pain of a summons for High Treason and incarceration in the Tower (a fate only slightly worse than the one to befall certain members of this family yesterday after a long-distance journey to bestow season's greetings on a group of far flung relatives - followed by the late-night relay truck ride home in the small hours of this morning).

If anyone knows how to fix a nearside front electric window, I know a man who'd like to hear from you.

An eco-friendly very merry Christmas to you all!

2011-12-24T12:07:00.002Z

As you know, I've not sent any Christmas cards this year and have made a donation to charity instead. But that doesn't prevent me wishing everyone the compliments of the season. Oh no. So, here's an environmentally friendly animated audio-visual e-card for you all...

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Tesco Christmas

2011-12-22T16:42:00.000Z

The clock is ticking, but there's still time - plenty of time - to get those last-minute jobs done and if they involve spending time in the kitchen, there's help on hand in the form of the Tesco Christmas Zone, with all the information you could possibly need to cook the perfect Christmas dinner. There's a turkey timer, cocktail finder and leftovers recipe search to take some of the hassle out of the big day. They've also released videos to help you carve the turkey perfectly, make the perfect roast potatoes and bake your own edible Christmas gifts to name but three. Personally, I'm quite tempted to have a go at something like this. She makes it look easy, doesn't she?

This is a sponsored post

Are you ready?

2011-12-21T17:23:00.001Z

Got the turkey ordered? Sprouts sorted? Presents wrapped and cards posted?

No, me neither. Never mind. Help is at hand and I'll be guiding you in the direction of some useful tips for Christmas Day tomorrow. Today, though, Christmas has come early for *drumroll* Adventure Mother, winner of the Green Giant 'Five-A-Day' challenge and author of this handy tip for getting kids to eat their greens, on Christmas Day and every day:

Blending vegetables and mixing them into gravy has always worked for my kids. It works particularly well for cottage pie. I make it with lean beef and finely chopped onions, then add whole peas (the only green thing they will eat whole) and blended carrot and spinach. You could even mash swede or parsnip into the potato topping for an extra dose of your 5 a day!

Pretty crafty, eh? Runners up included Sarah Hague who wrote that 'making a nice vegetable soup always works. You can throw in all the stuff they don't like and it'll come out magically delicious. Especially with croutons.' And Expat Mum suggested we 'puree them (the veggies, not the kids) and add to pasta sauce. Since most kids like pasta, it's fairly fool proof. If yours won't eat red sauce, you can add spinach to pesto and Voila! With red sauce, you can puree a ton of different veggies in there and it doesn't really change the taste. Spinach adds a lovely nutty taste though. Best to do it a tablespoon at a time to get them used to it though. Wink!'

Thanks for all the tips and - believe me - they will be tried and tested and tweaked and then tried again. You can find more five-a-day tips on the Green Giant Facebook Page and, talking of the jolly Green one, here's his Christmas message to you all...

Cheers!

2011-12-20T19:29:00.001Z

Further to my Pot Noodle post the other day I know that several of you were concerned about my dietary well being (ok, a couple of people said something on Twitter). So, I thought I'd tell you what I've had to eat this evening: salmon linguine, cooked especially for me by my wife (she who promised to obey) and accompanied by a light, refreshing blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc courtesy of Stowell's of Chelsea.

Now, I don't think of myself as a wine writer (although I'm always open to offers!) but I do enjoy the stuff, never more so than when accompanying a plate of wonderful food. I could go on about the melon, pear and apricot aromas or the balance of fresh acidity with a hint of sweetness but I won't. Because - believe it or not - that isn't the most important feature of this new range. Because at just 60 calories for a 125ml glass (30% less than a typical glass of wine) and with an APV of just 5.5 per cent, Stowell's Light (in red, rose and white) offers an opportunity for sensible seasonal and all-year-round drinking at a fraction of the usual alcohol levels - but without the usual compromise on taste.

They sent tonight's bottle therefore this is, of course, a sponsored post. But what they don't know is that I've been searching for something like this for years - not least at this indulgent time of year. Soft drinks just don't 'do it' at the office party, so the idea of something full of flavour but light on calories and alcohol is intriguing. Suffice to say, this won't be the first bottle we'll be having.

So, let's raise a glass of Stowell's Light, chink glasses and say 'Cheers!' And know that, in the watches of the night when the kids wake up, or when the the first sounds of morning are heard far, far too early, there'll be none of the usual groaning and gnashing of teeth (to say nothing of steering the porcelain bus). You'll wake up with a clear head, ready to face the morning.

Philips Airfryer Review

2011-12-18T09:07:00.001Z

And talking of food (as I was, here) let me tell you about this - the Philips Airfryer healthy frying machine.

Using 80% less fat this little beauty will create the perfect chips in just twelve minutes. But there's more to it than chips. You can make all sorts in it, from home-made fish-cakes to puff-pastry mincemeat parcels. And I have. I'll post pictures and recipes shortly.

But first, chips. (Or if you prefer, as it's Sunday, roast potatoes - only the shape need change.)

First stage, of course, is make your chips. That's easy enough. You don't need a picture for that, do you? Ok then, they look like this:

Ok then, once you've done that, simply add half a tablespoon of oil and get your hands in the bowl and mix.

Next, set the temperature and time.

And in just twelve minutes (depending on quantity) using the patented Rapid Air technology (think very hot hair-dryer) you've got what Philips claim are the 'tastiest chips containing 80% less fat.' And you've got them at a fraction of the cost (with a fraction of the fat and none of the salt) of bought ones. Ok, it takes a little bit of time. But not much - minutes, really. Time well spent to have your chips and stay healthy!

Using my new favourite price-comparison site Idealo.com you can get one of these for as little as £120. The perfect Christmas gift for your chip-loving loved ones!

Mmmmm!

Bon appetit!

2011-12-16T13:27:00.001Z

It was the works Christmas lunch today. As the only employee I wasn't about to cook the whole shebang just for myself. So I had one of these instead. It was rather nice.

Until recently I hadn't had a Pot Noodle for something like twenty years and I probably shouldn't have done for at least another twenty. Claims earlier this week that over 20,000 people in the UK die every year due to type 2 diabetes were shocking enough, as was the claim that eating as few as two takeaways a week runs an increased risk of developing the disease, especially for women. As a 'born-again' healthy eater on the TescoDiets £s for lbs campaign recently, I certainly know what I should be eating. And the tasty, simple menus linked to online shopping make all the usual excuses irrelevant.

But, well... It was jolly tasty I can tell you. And after all, it's only once a year.

I think I'll organise the office party next.

Season's Greetings!

2011-12-13T10:20:00.000Z

I've threatened this before. (Threatened? Promised?) A couple of years ago I was being all Scrooge-like about the one Christmas tradition I really don't understand. Almost every year I say I'll stop it at the same time as grumbling about the time it takes, the expense of it and the sheer pointlessness of it all. I'm not dreaming of a White Christmas. Well, perhaps I am. But not with every Christmas card I write. Because this year - finally, at last and long overdue - I'm not writing any.

Now I love Christmas, I really do. I love (almost) everything about it. I've already told you I like shopping for Christmas presents (and would still like to know what you'd add to my list). But the sending of cards to those you're going to see personally, to those you see at work every day, to those you're going to wake up next to on Christmas Day...

Don't get me wrong; I'm still wishing everyone a 'Merry Christmas' at every available opportunity. And that's the point. Why send a piece of cardboard which may or may not get there and spend a fortune on the postage to do something I'll be doing either personally, or through the medium of technology (and I'm talking telephones here) anyway? I suppose there is still a case for sending cards to those far-flung friends and rellies not on Facebook or connected to the internet. But that isn't many. Really it isn't.

So here's the deal. This year, everyone will be getting their very own e-card. And I don't just mean the kind of thing you sign up for online and cut-and-paste your face into. If you're on twitter, I'll send you a #twittercard. Facebook, likewise. And I'll be giving the money I've saved to a local homelessness charity. It's quite liberating, really. And it's not at all related to the fact that I seem to be so disorganised this year I'd probably not have written my cards until New Year anyway.

Ok, well maybe it is a bit. But that's really only nudged me into doing something that I've wanted to do for years. Namely, this...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas List

2011-12-10T09:26:00.000Z

You're going to hate me for saying this, I know. I hate myself. (Especially this year, when I've never been so unprepared for Christmas!) But... but. I have a Christmas confession, a December disclosure, a mid-winter mea culpa. It is this. I actually like buying presents. I don't find it a chore. I enjoy taxing my brain cells every year in an effort to think of what to buy.

Let me just make one thing clear. This isn't one of those holier-than-thou better-to-give-than-receive type missives, although I do believe - especially as one gets older - that that latter assumes an importance ever greater.

No. What I mean is that the creative energy expended in thoughtful present buying can be immensely satisfying. And bears absolutely no relation whatsoever to the monetary value of the present purchased. Indeed, some of the best, most well-chosen, most satisfyingly given and most gratefully received presents can sometimes be the cheapest. And - just to make it absolutely clear that this isn't some kind of sanctimonious pre-Christmas sermon - allow me to confess to occasionally delighting in giving some of the most impractical, incongruous presents ever. I'll spare yours (and my sister's) blushes by telling you what.

But I digress (of course). The point is I - we - like giving presents. We like receiving them too, of course. And although money's nice (of course it is) it's never quite the same is it? It's never quite as special merely opening an envelope on Christmas Day (or one's birthday) no matter how generously stuffed with lucrely largesse. Because a present - however small - implies an element of choice, an effort made to understand or second-guess someone else's wishes. No matter that it can sometimes go spectacularly wrong (I'm sorry, Nic, for that indoor fountain); it's the thought that counts. Really it is.

But oh, the thinking takes up so much time and energy to say nothing of the shopping. And at this - the busiest - time of year too. Well, dear readers, help is at hand. As a daddy blogger of three years standing I've been asked to look at a number of things this year, and I'm happy to share some of them with you now in the hope that it provides you with some present-buying inspiration. There's something for everyone here, with prices raging from almost £90 to under 90p. So don't just give cash this year - have a bash at your own entirely gift-wrapped open-and-be-amazed Christmas.

Starting at the upper end of the price range, the Scalextric James Bond C1254 Race Set (£88 from Amazon, via Idealo) is the kind of gift guaranteed to get some parent-child bonding on Christmas Day. But be warned! It's addictive, which might be to the detriment of the turkey. Charlie and I were invited to a Scalextric PR event earlier in the year, and Charlie did me proud by opting to play not with the McClaren Jenson Button/Lewis Hamilton race set, nor the Disney Pixar cars track, but with this little beauty. He's quite good at it, too, as you can see from this short video. Which is why I'd better get practising before Christmas Eve.

But what if you haven't got the floor space for a Scalextric? Well, Hot Wheels have come up with an ingenuous solution whereby you attach track to the wall. This also has the advantage of keeping it out of the reach of younger siblings, something Charlie has had to contend with quite a lot just recently. A Hot Wheels Wall Track Starter Set can be had for just £29.99 either on Amazon or Play.com via Idealo.

Next, you all know how difficult it can sometimes be to get a bit of inter-generational bonding going on at Christmas? Well, this next gift idea might give a positive spin to any 'it weren't like this in my day' comments from older generations as they watch your offspring opening their presents. Record their Stories costs just 69p on iTunes and despite having a built-in edit suite and more than a 100 scrollable questions to help keep conversation flowing, it really is child’s play to use.

And we all know that - whatever we've spent, however long we've thought - those presents aren't going to keep the kids' Christmas attention indefinitely. So downloading this app and appointing them 'in dulci (jubilo)' interlocutors for the day might be a wonderfully effective way of keeping everybody happy, as well as recording some wonderful memories.

Finally, a couple of things for the grown-ups. My good friend and fellow-blogger Tom Briggs has just - literally - launched this upon the word: an anthology of the best of daddy blogging.

If the Christmas telly palls, you cannot fail to find some entertainment between the pages of this carefully crafted volume. If you're a blogger, come and have a read of what we dads are writing; if you're not (yet) come and have a look and see if you can't do any better.

And talking of books, James Corden's autobiography May I Have Your Attention Please is another entertaining. We quite like James Corden here. He is, after all, the voice of the mouse in The Gruffalo animation (as you can see in the behind-the-scenes film The Making of The Gruffalo). And I enjoyed his performance in The History Boys enormously. He's a very talented actor. As well as writer. But oh, what a performer! This warts-n-all book certainly doesn't fight shy of his attention-seeking tendencies (hence the title) nor does it shirk the laddish excesses that accompanied Corden's rise to fame and it can be had for just £8.99 - a saving of £10 - from W.H.Smith.

So, there are just a few of my ideas to save you from the dreaded 'money' option for this year's Christmas stocking. No doubt you'll have your own, too. In which case, please add them to the comment box below. Go on - let's make this the biggest Christmas present list on the 'net this year. Let's get creative with our present giving. And give no-one an excuse to send anyone any money.

Christmas Number One

2011-12-08T08:15:00.001Z

You know how, in the old days, all the Radio DJ's would have their 'record-of-the-week' (ha! records) and then at this time of year their personal Christmas Number One. For all I know they still do, only I gave up listening long ago. But I'm not going to let that stop me picking this as my Christmas number one. It deserves to be. And not just because the vid was made on Sleaford High Street.

It's dark outside; there's a hurricane coming; there'll be travel disruption; and I've still not done my Christmas shopping. But this'll cheer you up, I guarantee. This'll make you feel all Christmassy. Go on. Click 'play'.

Am I right?

Happy Families

2011-12-06T10:12:00.001Z

As you'll know if you're a blogger (or be able to guess if you're a regular reader) I get a fair number of PR emails. Most I can bin fairly quickly - those that address me as 'Dear Mummy' for example, or those that talk about some fantastic new product or whizzy new initiative which has all the relevance of a bag of damp raffle tickets.

Sometimes, something comes along I like but can't do very much about. Either the subject doesn't fit or I've got posts scheduled and can't make a deadline. I can't test drive maternity clothes, for instance (so please stop asking!) and I'd rather not have to delve into the nether regions of the lingerie range unless I really have to but, well, you'd be surprised what a daddy blogger is sometimes asked to do.

Then, last week, an email arrived about this: The Centre for the Modern Family. Launched today by Scottish Widows, this new think-tank comprising of academics and experts such as Tanya Bryon, Katherine Rake and Dr Samantha Callan (to name but three) intends to help further our understanding of what - in twentieth-first century Britain - a family is.

Of course, the Daily Mail doesn't see it that way. Their headline this morning, heralding the launch, claims that these 'experts are trying to kill off the traditional family'. They're not, of course. What they're doing is examining the state of the modern British family. And what they're finding - unsurprisingly - is that the so-called nuclear family with its cosy certainties is almost certainly finished. Nobody but the Daily Mail could really think otherwise. Working in schools for over twenty years I've dealt with a variety of different family types and - anecdotally - can certainly relate to the changing pattern of family life in the UK.

Because although it's true that sixty per cent of families living with school-age children are still headed by two married parents, over half of the 3000 people questioned in this survey no longer believe that a couple with children have to be married. And three-quarters believe that single parents count as a 'proper' family and almost sixty per cent believe that same sex couples can be regarded in the same way.

But such views aren't always welcome - and not just by the Daily Mail. One of the saddest statistics is that a quarter of the people surveyed feel that their family unit - whether single-parent, reconstituted, same-sex or whatever - isn't valued by society at large while almost a fifth of those questioned feel judged by other people because of their personal family circumstances.

And with articles like this morning's Daily Mail example, is is any wonder?

Sad, though. And with Christmas coming up too. Because, as Laurie Lee once wrote, 'Christmas is the family and the family the child...'

I think we parent-bloggers should start a family fight back - a campaign of our own to celebrate all that's good and caring and nourishing and safe about families however they're constructed. If you're interested, leave a comment and I'll get back to you when I've given it some more thought.

Because whatever anyone says, we're nothing without our families. There's no more important social institution and probably never will be.

Let's celebrate - not denigrate - the family.

O Tannenbaum

2011-12-04T15:20:00.001Z

Or Weihnachtsbaum, if you'd rather. Either way, It's kept us amused today. Got yours up yet?

Christmas is coming!

2011-12-02T10:12:00.001Z

The goose is getting fat. But not as fat as the banker.

Anyway, apropos my anti-capitalist post the other day I've decided to set my store by some money-saving tips this Christmas. Did you know that the average spent on presents per child - per child - is over £200? No, nor did I. But shocked I most certainly was. To be honest, I was also a little bit surprised to be told that the equivalent sum twenty years ago was £75. So I was more than happy to take up Ideolo's Christmas Stocking challenge and see if I could stick to that budget in buying presents for all three of my children.

The good news is, with Idealo it's a doddle. They've sponsored this post, but I'm quite happy to say that I'll be using the site regularly from now on. For a start, it's so darned easy. You don't need to register; there's no pesky log in; you just search for the item you're purchasing and get a comprehensive list of price comparison information. The home page is organised into categories so you can browse with ease, but if you know what you're looking for then you can search for it and come up with just about each and every online retailer, choose the best price (or service - you might, for example, want to pay a little more to get faster delivery) click the link and in seconds you're on the retailer's site - Amazon, eBay, Argos, John Lewis or whoever it might be. Honestly, Christmas shopping could not be simpler. Or cheaper.

They've asked me to link to the things I've bought. So I will. But I'm not telling you what they are, still less posting a picture. You see, it's a secret. But someone's going to be very excited on Christmas Day when they open one of these. And someone is going to enjoy adding this to their Scalextric circuit. Someone else might enjoy blocking out the noise of Christmas day toys with a pair of these. There's something for everyone. And all for just £75.

Right, that just leave me to do some wrapping. Christmas Carols, anyone? Here's one I recorded earlier - in September in fact - for the 'Shadows of a Stranger' soundtrack...

Strike, strike, strike!

2011-11-30T10:05:00.001Z

I'm not going to say much about the strike. Just this. First, I've never taken a day's industrial action in my life. But that's just because I've never been working when they've been taken. Second, the one serious muscle public sector workers can flex is to withdraw their labour. We can't hold the government to ransom because we've gambled away everyone's money and yet still pay ourselves an enormous bonus, like our friends the bankers.

Ok, enough strike. What I really want to say - and the two things aren't unconnected - is this. Stop wanting more stuff, people. Be content. Most of us (and I wouldn't dream of preaching to those less fortunate) get by well enough. We're fed; we're warm; we don't walk around in tatters; we have telly, books, iPods, smart-phones. We're doing alright.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - why do we need to expect more? The OECD yesterday predicted a 'double-dip' recession for Britain; government growth forecasts are again down. But why - if someone could explain this I'd be very grateful - does the economy need constantly to 'grow' in order for us to be successful?

There's enough stuff out there for everyone. We could share it out a bit more evenly if we tried, but most of us probably don't want to. But why must we always want more? If everything stayed tickety-boo and there was no year-on-year growth then there'd also be no increase in unemployment; inflation wouldn't eat our savings; interest rates would be low (as they are now) and we'd need no more pay because stuff wouldn't cost us any more. (I know, incidentally, that this doesn't take account of our enormous debt as a nation, but that's another matter. It's the sacred cow of economic growth I'm locking horns with here, and it's not an especially comfortable position to be in!)

Come on Evan Davis, if you're reading. You're an economist. I've studied economics too, both at 'A' level and as an undergraduate. I know the maths; I've seen the curves. But I still don't understand why we've all got to have more, grow fatter, earn better, eat bigger, drive faster year-on-year in order to be counted as a 'successful' nation. Why not embrace the status quo? What's wrong with contentment? Why not accept the principle of working to maintain our living standards, salaries, lifestyles as they are without this constant need to get bigger and better?

I realise it's this striving for 'better' that's driven humanity onwards and upwards for the last 150,000 years. I realise, too, that without economic 'growth' there'd be no fat annual bonus for the blessed bankers. But I'm starting to think that this malaise is linked to everything we do, everything our children see on TV and then demand from Santa, linked to this vague idea most of us have that in spite of everything we've already got we just need something else to make our lives complete, to make us happy, to make us whole.

Most of us don't. And for most of us, whatever we get it won't. If we aren't happy now a new house or car or smartphone probably won't make any difference. And this time next year there'll be something else we think we need to make our lives complete.

And with that thought, ladies and gentlemen, I'd better leave you to your Christmas shopping.

Here endeth today's sermon.

Ho, ho, ho!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

2011-11-28T13:54:00.001Z

No, not him. Not yet. Him...

You might remember a few weeks ago I posted about the Green Giant 5-a-Day campaign. As part of their efforts to get us all to eat five a day, every day the Green Giant was in Manchester on the 29th and 30th October and almost two hundred families gave him a High-5.

Colin Jackson was there meeting the audience, High 5-ing the Giant and hurdling a Giant sweet corn!

There's plenty of information about the campaign over on the Green Giant Facebook page and the winner of my own competition (to win an Abel & Cole veg box) will be announced very shortly.

In the meantime, I think I'd better start re-classifying 'Bringing up Charlie' as a food blog.

And if you'll excuse me, all this talk of food is making me hungry.

This is a sponsored post