Glamumous!

Welcoming 2012

2012-01-01T22:51:00.001Z

Welcome to 2012! A new year in blogging, with this first being my initial burst of energy in hoping to maintain a resolution to write more and further my ventures online.

With such an eventful (and often upsetting) year behind us, I hope this year will see a smaller share of bad luck for those close to me, replaced instead by a greater share of happiness, especially now that we have a beautiful new addition to our family.

Best wishes to all who read Glamumous, I hope the year ahead will be a happy one for you too!

Winter Festival at Heeley City Farm

2011-12-17T18:30:00.000Z

On festival days, the streets surrounding Heeley City Farm are usually crammed bumper to bumper with parked cars. But not today.

I tell Sarah it's because of the rain which is bounding off the windscreen like a hailstorm of ping-pong balls. "Some of the activities might have been cancelled, are you sure you still want to go?"

Of course she does. Ever since she saw the flyer I picked up in the reception at school Sarah has not stopped asking if she could get her hair braided. Personally I was looking forward to picking up a pretty wreath for the front door and some Christmas crafts to adorn our seemingly virginal tree. So hurriedly we packed Cassius into his pram and bolted across to the main centre, seeking shelter under a thatched roof where the tombola and a woodcraft stall had set up their wares.

This was when I realised bringing the pushchair was essentially a bad idea. Had it been a pleasant day I'd have happily carried Cassius in the sling, but with the rain I'd thought it better to keep him dry beneath the raincover and hood. With all that rain I'd assumed the festival would be almost desolate. How wrong I was, in the most pleasantly surprisingly way.

The festival was packed, not by the standards of the summer festival (where we could barely move without accidentally placing an elbow between someone's ribs!), but definitely a good turnout.

I got a whiff of delicious smelling vegetarian food as Sarah dragged me towards the "greenhouse", usually home to a myriad of plants and hanging baskets, grown to order, but today host to a whole host of festive craft stalls including the corner where a girl could get her hair braided with colourful strands of cotton, beads and bells or choose a Henna design which would be painted with intricate precision with a steady, imaginative hand.

As Sarah enjoyed her girly hair fix, I took Cassius on a jaunt around the mini-craft market, marvelling at the beautiful handmade soaps and Christmas cards; wishing I hadn't already completed my family gift list so I could have bought some of the gorgeous unique jewellery on display.

Still, the basket beneath the pushchair was full of savvy purchases by the time Sarah's braid was finished, and I followed my nose to discover where the delicious curry lady had set up stall.

I wish I knew the name of this lady. Each time we've been to a Heeley CIty Farm festival we've found her selling the same vegetable curry, rice and samosas. And I always buy some. My goodness it's good. Not cheap, but incredibly tasty. I'm glad the rain has subdued so we can stand beside the pond close to the enclosure where the peacock squawks and struts while wolfing it down and wishing we'd bought more to take home.

Sadly the weather permitted no storytelling or children's drama on show today, though the black and white morris dancers were strutting their stuff - which even Cassius enjoyed! And the carol singers sheltered beneath the stables brought a tear to my eye. Sentimental that I am, hearing White Christmas always makes me well up...

We would have loved to stay longer, were it not for the fact that my un-gloved hands were turning blue with the cold. Hopefully the Spring festival will bring us warmer skies but then, how will we find a place to park?!

Origami Christmas Tree Cards - Thrifty Christmas

2011-11-09T23:38:00.000Z

Last year, my aunt inspired us all by creating beautiful handmade cards to send to family members - they were a Christmas treat in themselves!

So this year, Sazzy and I will be following her lead, using this great tutorial for origami Christmas trees as the basis for our designs:

We Grow By Our Dreams: Origami Christmas Tree Tutorial

We've found some lovely quality festive wrapping paper at only 25p a sheet in the local post office, already have gold star stickers, metallic pens and beads to embellish, and are scouring eBay for budget-priced blank cards (Hobbycraft is way overpriced!).

I'll post pics once we've made a few (and I finally have access to a camera-enabled phone!)

Facebook Etiquette - Manners for the Modern Woman

2011-06-06T09:00:00.009+01:00

These days, almost all of us will operate a Facebook account, whether to keep up with family and friends or extend our social reach.

Image credit: Carbonnyc,

Like all modern technologies, there are no hard-and-fast rules for how we should operate our accounts, but there are guidelines we could follow in order to avoid embarrassing ourselves or others.

Make use of these etiquettes as you see fit and help make Facebook a more appealing place to socialise.

Be mindful of what you post, whether this be status updates or photos from your Saturday night out.

Amidst your close circle of understanding friends, you'll likely have a mix of family members, colleagues or potential employers - are you sure you really want to post that existential thought?

What may seem to be a general statement can easily be regarded as criticism or taken badly out of context. Think about everything before you post it to ensure it doesn't give the wrong impression.

Use discretion when posting on others' walls - remember, Facebook walls are public spaces and should be treated as such.

Avoid posting anything too personal or having an entire conversation on other people's walls. Not only could this be degrading to your friend, it could damage the way you are perceived by other people (many of whom you will not personally know).

Image credit: Jesslee Cuizon

Deliver important or personal news in person! This is common sense, not to mention general social manners.

I'm sure you'd prefer to hear about a friend's engagement or a tragic bereavement through a phone call or face-to-face interaction. Be mindful of this, and deliver news personally rather than the detachment of online conversation.

Keep photos of yourself to a minimum, especially those which are taken when holding the camera away from yourself, or in which you are scantily dressed.

Posting many pictures of oneself gives the impression of vanity or crudeness. Be more classy by choosing self-portraits carefully.

Along a similar note, it's also advisable to -

Remove compromising photos of yourself - you never know who will see them!

I'd imagine most Glamumous readers would be more than careful in preventing such images of themselves being posted online, but be sure to check occasionally in case one slips by and finds its way to a friends' Facebook wall. In this case, a polite message to the poster should suffice (in the least, remove the "tag" linking it to your profile!).

Image credit: vintagedept

Only "friend" people you genuinely know.

There seems to be a notion that the number of Facebook friends one has is an indication of one's popularity in real life. Realistically, this is far from true.

Those who "appear" to have hundreds of friends give the impression of being desperate enough to randomly add strangers to their network in false hopes of seeming popularity.

If there's someone you would genuinely like to know but haven't yet been introduced to, the polite approach would be to suggest an introduction through a mutual friend or some other means of real-life interaction.

On a similar note, don't be afraid to say "no" to friend requests from strangers!

Don't update your status every 5 minutes! On Facebook, the quality of updates is far more important than quantity.

Those who post pointless updates detailing every single little thing they do throughout the day are the most likely to be de-friended. Post only significant updates, links and comments, being mindful of the impression you make of yourself.

Choose apps and associations carefully. Less is more!

Don't overload your profile with useless applications, particularly those which update your profile more than you do personally. No-one enjoys having their news-feed crammed with meaningless updates!

Demonstrate similar discretion when choosing which groups to join and which pages to "favourite". Your choices say a lot about you, so it's probably best to avoid "Saturday Night Binge Drinking" or "Cougar Moms" if you're at all concerned about others' judgement!

Never use Facebook to vent about work if you care about your professional impression!

No matter how securely you set your Facebook permissions, there is still a chance that an employer or important contact could see it. Be courteous enough to maintain your opinions on a more personal, less public level.

Image credit: Courtney Carmody

Avoid posting chain status updates unless you truly believe in the cause.

Chain statuses are like annoying chain mail letters, though usually are published in support of a worthy cause. Awareness of the cause is brought about by friends posting updates ad encouraging their friends to do the same.

Unfortunately when one's news feed is filled with duplicates this breeds annoyance, a negative emotion which is transferred to the cause. Post chain statuses sparingly, and only when the cause is of particular importance to you and those around you.

Respond promptly to messages and comments, just as you would when receiving regular email.

If a friend has taken the time to send a message or post commentary which requires a response, it's simply courteous to do so in a timely manner.

Maintain caution when changing your relationship status, particularly when beginning or ending a relationship.

When a relationship is in its infancy, you probably won't want details spread all over your public wall, but on the same hand it's discourteous for your status to declare you as "single". Similarly, when a relationship has ended it's important to avoid humiliating yourself or your ex.

In these circumstances, the ideal approach is to hide relationship status updates and avoid them cropping up in the news feeds of your friends.

So far as I can tell, there is only one sure-fire way of hiding a change in your relationship status:

While logged into your Facebook account, click the "Account" tab, and select "Privacy Settings". This page will display details of who can see any aspect of your Facebook profile, including "Family and relationships".
Click "Customise settings" near the bottom of this page, then under "Relationships" on the next page, select "Other" for advanced privacy settings related to this information.
From the drop-down menu in the ensuing pop-up screen, select "Only Me" and save.

Now no-one except yourself will be able to see your relationship status or receive notification when you change it. Your friends will only know that your relationship status is hidden if they visit your profile page.

Image credit: Camoodles

What are your opinions on Facebook etiquette?

Would you add any additional advice to this list? Do you think these suggestions prescriptive, inappropriate or outdated?

Please feel free to leave your own comments and suggestions using the "Post a comment" button below.

"Home Sweet Home" Redux - Alternative Designs for Modern Stitchers

2011-06-02T10:00:00.000+01:00

Begone with those notions that cross stitch is a pastime reserved for old ladies and 1950's housewives! Modern cross stitchers create with style. personality and a dose of "tongue-in-cheek" flair!

Here's a selection of "Home Sweet Home" alternatives for those who'd prefer a more modern sampler.

Yoshi's House Cross Stitch by Rosaka (Free)

An epic pattern which could take months to complete, though definitely a stunning masterpiece!

London Cityscape by Make Industries

Live in London? This is a beautiful large monochrome design for anyone who loves our capital city.

Mario Castle #1 by Spritestitch

A simple, Super Mario inspired design which is great for cross-stitch beginners.

Chinese Traditional Wedding Happiness Pattern via Chinese Learner

Traditionally, a pair of brightly coloured paper ducks are given to newlywed couples in China. This gorgeous design invokes the notion of a happy home and provides a great alternative to traditional samplers.

Tardis Sweet Tardis by Elfstitch ($10 USD)

Have a Doctor Who fan at home? They'll surely love this funky chart!

Home Sweet Basic by nichestitch ($6.99 USD)

A geek alternative written in "Basic" code.

Home Sweet Home by StitchKits (£7.50)

A modern take on the traditional sampler.

Schoolhouse script Home Sweet Home pattern ($5 USD)

Reminiscent of handwriting practise!

Home Tweet Home by JessieLane ($1.50 USD)

For anyone who's caught the Twitter bug.

Bless this MotherF***** Home by Katiecutthroat ($5 USD)

Not for the faint-hearted!

It's Lavish But I Call It Home by Subversive Cross Stitch ($12 USD)

Includes fabric, threads, pattern and instructions!

One of Subversive Cross Stitch's more conservative designs ;)

Shut the Front Door by Bombastitch ($4 USD)

A funky reminder for those who habitually forget.

Space Invaders Home by Urban Cross Stitch (currently on sale at £12 for the kit!)

Retro gaming with a traditional twist. Includes everything you need to complete the design.

Home Sweet Rig by CrossStitch.com ($2.99)

My trucker brother would love this!

Home Tweet Home via Rainbow Gallery (Free)

A flirty feminine design.

Home Sweet Pumpkin by Erica Michaels (Free)

More of a project piece than a sampler, but still very cute!

H is for House by Erica Michaels (Free)

A simple design which could also double as an initial-based gift.

Rainbow Castle by The Floss Box ($1 USD)

A lovely design for the kids' room!

9 Free House Patterns by The Floss Box (Free)

Slightly more traditional, any one of these designs could be altered to match the colours of your own home or tastes.

Gamer's Cross Stitch Pattern from the Domestic Scientist

Perfect for a household of computer gamers! Alternatives to the XBox controller are available for those who prefer a different device logo.

Which are your favourites?

Have any of these patterns revived or created an urge to stitch up a sampler? Please let us know which are your favourites by leaving your comments below.

100 Quotes from Inspirational Women

2011-05-31T12:00:00.001+01:00

We could all use a little inspiration from time to time: perhaps to brighten our thoughts on a dull day, to affirm uncertain actions or get ourselves out of a rut.

So I've collected 100 inspirational quotes from great women through history: females who have shaped our world, who have helped advance society or achieved great things.

Rosa Parks (1913-2005) - "The First Lady of Civil Rights"

Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others.

-- Rosa Parks
A little simplification would be the first step toward rational living, I think.
-- Eleanor Roosevelt
You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for our own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity.

-- Marie Curie
Woman must not accept; she must challenge. She must not be awed by that which has been built up around her; she must reverence that woman in her which struggles for expression.

-- Margaret Sanger
One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder where you are, when you don't come home at night.

-- Margaret Mead
It sometimes happens that a woman is handsomer at twenty-nine than she was ten years before.

-- Jane Austen
The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life.

-- Jane Addams
It is hardly surprising that women concentrate on the way they look instead of what was in their minds since not much has been put in their minds to begin with

-- Mary Wolstonecraft Shelley
Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these.

-- Susan B. Anthony
The best protection any woman can have . . . is courage.

-- Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Elizabeth I (1533-1603) - Queen of England

I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman. But I have the heart and stomach of a king - and of a King of England.

-- Elizabeth I
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.

-- Harriet Tubman
A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That's why they don't get what they want.

-- Madonna
I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life -- and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.

-- Georgia O'Keeffe
Being a woman has only bothered me in climbing trees.

-- Frances Perkins
That is, the wife must care for what the husband cares for if he is to remain resolute.

-- Mary Harris "Mother" Jones
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.

-- Helen Keller
Ask yourself: Have you been kind today? Make kindness your daily modus operandi and change your world.

-- Annie Lennox
Keep on beginning and failing. Each time you fail, start all over again, and you will grow stronger until you have accomplished a purpose - not the one you began with perhaps, but one you'll be glad to remember.

-- Anne Sullivan
Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay.

-- Simone De Beauvoir

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) - "The Lady with the Lamp"

I think one's feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results.

-- Florence Nightingale
It is the mind that makes the body

-- Sojourner Truth
Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.

-- Gwyneth Paltrow
There is no good reason why we should not develop and change until the last day we live.

-- Karen Horney
I am a mystery to myself.

-- Angelina Grimke
Women are early taught that to appear to yield is the only way to govern.

-- Sarah Moore Grimke
For what is done or learned by one class of women becomes, by virtue of their common womanhood, the property of all women.

-- Elizabeth Blackwell
It is never to late to be what you might have been.

-- George Eliot
One had better die fighting against injustice than die like a dog or a rat in a trap.

-- Ida Bell Wells-Barnett
When she stopped conforming to the conventional picture of femininity she finally began to enjoy being a woman.

-- Betty Friedman

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) - American Poet

Dwell in possibility.

-- Emily Dickinson
To stand at the edge of the sea, to sense the ebb and flow of the tides, to feel the breath of a mist moving over a great salt marsh, to watch the flight of shore birds that have swept up and down the surf lines of the continents for untold thousands of year, to see the running of the old eels and the young shad to the sea, is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal as any earthly life can be.

-- Rachel Carson
Give light and people will find the way.

-- Ella Baker
Revolutionaries do not make revolutions. The revolutionaries are those who know when power is lying in the street and then they can pick it up.

-- Hannah Arendt
I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.

-- Mother Teresa
Feelings of love and gratitude arise directly and spontaneously in the baby in response to the love and care of his mother.

-- Melanie Klein
Don't be so humble, you're not that great.

-- Golda Meir
You cannot find peace by avoiding life.
-- Virginia Woolf
The important thing is not what they think of me, but what I think of them.

-- Queen Victoria
There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique.

-- Martha Graham

Catherine the Great (1729-1796) - Empress of Russia

I praise loudly. I blame softly.

-- Catherine the Great
Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.

-- Zora Neale Hurston
There is very little difference between men and women in space.
-- Helen Sharman
When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.
-- Harriet Beecher Stowe
Freedom is always and exclusively freedom for the one who thinks differently.

-- Rosa Luxemburg
From the first, I made my learning, what little it was, useful every way I could.

-- Mary Mcleod Bethune
Reason sits firm and holds the reins, and she will not let the feelings burst away and hurry her to wild chasms. The passions may rage furiously, like true heathens, as they are; and the desires may imagine all sorts of vain things: but judgment shall still have the last word in every argument, and the casting vote in every decision.

-- Charlotte Bronte
I've dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they've gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind.

-- Emily Bronte
No written law has ever been more binding than unwritten custom supported by popular opinion.

-- Carrie Chapman Catt
Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right.

-- Jane Goodall

Joan of Arc (1412-1431) French heroine and Catholic Saint

One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.

-- Joan of Arc
The most violent element in society is ignorance.

-- Emma Goldman
Women are always being tested...but ultimately, each of us has to define who we are individually and then do the very best job we can to grow into it.

-- Hilary Clinton
Fashion fades, only style remains the same.

-- Coco Chanel
If it's a good idea, go ahead and do it. It's much easier to apologize than it is to get permission.

-- Grace Murray Hopper
If you know you are on the right track, if you have this inner knowledge, then nobody can turn you off. . . no matter what they say.

-- Barbara McClintock
Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.

-- Gertrude Stein
People tend to forget their duties but remember their rights.

-- Indira Gandhi
A woman may not hit a ball stronger than a man, but it is different. I prize that difference.

-- Louise Nevelson
Deeds not words.

-- Emmeline Pankhurst

Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) Photographer and photo-journalist

This benefit of seeing... can come only if you pause a while, extricate yourself from the maddening mob of quick impressions ceaselessly battering our lives, and look thoughtfully at a quiet image... the viewer must be willing to pause, to look again, to meditate.

-- Dorothea Lange
No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently.

-- Agnes De Mille
What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon be beautiful.- Sappho
Loving a child doesn't mean giving in to all his whims; to love him is to bring out the best in him, to teach him to love what is difficult.

-- Nadia Boulanger
Exhaust the little moment. Soon it dies. And be it gash or gold it will not come Again in this identical guise.

-- Gwendolyn Brooks
The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist.

-- Maria Montessori
Fear is a disease that eats away at logic and makes man inhuman.

-- Marian Anderson
I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.

-- Anne Frank
For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.

-- Audrey Hepburn
Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it.

-- Margaret Thatcher

Lady Murasaki (c.973-1014) - Novelist, poet and maid of honour in the Imperial Court

Though the body moves, the soul may stay behind.
-- Murasaki Shikibu
Where ever I am I always find myself looking out the window wishing I was somewhere else.

-- Angelina Jolie
We must live for the few who know and appreciate us, who judge and absolve us, and for whom we have the same affection and indulgence. The rest I look upon as a mere crowd, lively or sad, loyal or corrupt, from whom there is nothing to be expected but fleeting emotions, either pleasant or unpleasant, which leave no trace behind them.

-- Sarah Bernhardt
If you do things well, do them better. Be daring, be first, be different, be just.

-- Anita Roddick
The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure , the process is its own reward.

-- Amelia Earheart
The loneliest woman in the world is the woman without a close woman friend.

-- Toni Morrison
The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off.

-- Gloria Steinem
Just as women’s bodies are softer than men’s, so their understanding is sharper.

-- Christine de Pisan
Work is something you can count on, a trusted, lifelong friend who never deserts you.

-- Margaret Bourke-White
Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?

-- Frida Kahlo

Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) - Awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature

Love beauty; it is the shadow of God on the universe.

-- Gabriela Mistral
The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.

-- Flannery O'Connor
A mistake is simply another way of doing things.

-- Catharine Graham
It's a long old road, but I know I'm gonna find the end.

-- Bessie Smith
I know that, like every woman of the people, I have more strength than I appear to have.

-- Evita Peron
I will not be triumphed over.

-- Cleopatra
There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all.

-- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
The trick in life is learning how to deal with it.

-- Helen Mirren
It matters not what a person is born, but who they choose to be.

-- Joanne Kathleen Rowling
Sometimes it's worse to win a fight than to lose.

-- Billie Holiday

Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)

I don't know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot.

-- Marilyn Monroe
Temperance is moderation in the things that are good and total abstinence from the things that are foul.

-- Frances Willard
Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.

-- Elisabeth Kobler Ross
If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down.

-- Mary Pickford
Through my optimism I naturally prefer and capture the beauty in life.

-- Leni Riefenstahl
I never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun.

-- Katharine Hepburn
A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning.

-- Billie Jean King
Only do what your heart tells you.
-- Princess Diana
In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come by.

-- Lucille Ball
Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.

-- Oprah Winfrey

Which quote is your favourite? Have I missed out an important female role model? Please feel free to leave your comments below.

Showcomotion - A Film Festival for Young People

2011-05-21T13:02:00.001+01:00

For the next two weeks, the independent cinema, Showroom in Sheffield will be host to Showcomotion - a film festival for young people.

As a film lover myself, I'm quite excited to know this is happening in my home town and am grateful that local kids will have the opportunity to see and learn about film. And with tickets at only £2.00 each, my kids are looking forward to a few cinema trips!

In addition to screenings of international child-friendly film, Showcomotion offers educational workshops, several of which are open to the public (plus some organized activities for schools). Check here for a PDF programme of events.

Opening today with a workshop and screening of Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2, films will be on offer every day until the 29th of May and bookings can be made via the Showroom website.

We're most looking forward to seeing Arietty - the latest animated endeavor from Studio Ghibli:

If you live in Sheffield or close by, be sure to make pay the Showroom Cinema a visit soon!

Stitch by Cath Kidston - Book Review

2011-05-20T12:00:00.000+01:00

Each Friday on Glamumous I review a book I've recently read and feel would be interesting for readers of this site. This week I'm reviewing the craft-based book, Stitch by Cath Kidston.

I'm afraid I've been a little busy this week, ever since this gorgeous book arrived with the postman to be precise! Having a fondness for cross stitch (and feeling the nesting instinct kicking in!) I'd been interested in this book for some time and was really looking forward to some of the new and modern projects contained within.

Cath Kidston's style of home design offers a modern twist on traditional arts, and this book delivers a needlecrafter's interpretation of this in delicious doses. With projects suitable for crafters of all levels of experience, there's something in here for everyone to try!

Beginning with needlecraft basics, Stitch offers a variety of projects which are not only useful but functional too. Rather than being filled with samplers and art to be framed, you can find quick(ish) and easy patterns to create cushions, themed decor and even a pencil case to make up as a gift. Several of the patterns are themed, such as the cowboy seat cover and sampler, and offer different techniques suitable to the project at hand.

Including materials for a complete project with the book was a genius idea. I was so pleased at being able to jump straight into a project and made my pretty little purse right away (which was promptly swept away by my daughter), while the "shopping lists" for each project made it easy for me to collect the materials I needed to get started on an adorable house cushion.

Usually I find needlecraft patterns online, and (excluding the odd charity shop find) Stitch is the first book on this subject I've purchased. Although a little pricier for a paperback than I'd have prefered, I'm not in the slightest bit disappointed with my purchase as this is something I'll refer to again and again with it's beautiful photography and easy to follow patterns.

Details:

Book Title: Stitch by Cath Kidston

Reviewed by: Amanda Kennedy on 05-19-2011

Rating: 4.5/5

Feed your Family for £50 with Sainsburys?

2011-05-18T12:00:00.000+01:00

When I first saw those TV adverts suggesting we could feed a family of four for £50, I naturally assumed this meant a week's worth of evening meals only. So it did come as a pleasant surprise to find this cost includes breakfasts and lunches too. For a whole week!

Sainsburys have developed an efficient, cost-effective meal plan and recipe guide to cover a week's worth of meals for the whole family to enjoy together. The plan does require sticking to portion sizes and does not include any snacks between meals, though undoubtedly it is a cost effective means of feeding the family on a budget.

Not all of the recipes appeal to my family personally, though there's nothing too OTT in there which they would particularly turn their nose up at! It makes me happy to know that in this climate of budgeting and moneysaving, even the big name supermarkets are offering a helping hand to families feeling the pinch.

I'll definitely be looking out for future meal plans from Sainsburys for more thrifty meal ideas and would love to see if the idea catches on with other supermarkets too.

A Trip To The Baby Friendly Show in Sheffield

2011-05-15T18:00:00.001+01:00

Having chanced upon a fly poster outside Tesco the other day, my daughter and I made a last-minute dash to The Baby Friendly Show at the Sheffield Park Hotel.

Despite already having two children, I hadn't yet had the opportunity to experience a show dedicated to babies, and had almost no idea of what to expect. At first, DD and I felt a little out of place in the glossy clean hotel entrance - where were the screaming hoardes of toddlers and their flustered parents? A quick word to the receptionist pointed us in the right direction where we found the show began in the entrance to the hotel's event section and a cheery greeting from one of the organizers.

We'd arrived a little late in the day, at around 1pm when the show had been in full swing since 9am. I guessed at this time that we'd probably missed most of the fun planned for the show, though my daughter was still very excited at being able to participate in the treasure hunt which led us from stand to stand in the main exhibition hall.

Despite our late arrival, there we still many families there, most of whom sported prams and babes in arms (or a growing bump like mine!). It was such a pleasant surprise to see many dads there who didn't seem bored to death, making me wish I'd had the foresight to encourage my partner to come along with us!

The Treasure Hunt for the children was a genius idea - we needed to find the fruit or vegetable hidden on each exhibitor's stand, helping me to discover many local services which I may have otherwise overlooked. Being pregnant, I was particularly interested in maternity events and services; though I was a little too shy to join in, I enjoyed watching the Daisy Birthing taster session and was very pleased to find information about financial help available to pregnant workers on the NCT stand!

My favourite part had to be rummaging through the "nearly new" sale where we found loads of wonderful bargains. For £12, I bought a pair of gorgeous smart maternity trousers, two tees, a long white shirt, a dress for DD and a pair of training roller skates, all great quality and decent labels too! If I'd had more cash on me, I would have also bought one of the lovely travel-systems too, though we didn't notice the hotel had a cash machine until we were on the way out!

Next month, the BFG is hosting The Kids Show at the same hotel which we're also looking forward to attending. If you live in or near Sheffield, we look forward to seeing you there!

0-9 Months in Under 2 Minutes!

2011-05-11T11:00:00.001+01:00

This beautiful video by Mama Natural shows a time-lapse of Genevieve's pregnancy belly from 0-9 months. It's a great way to visualize our pregnant changing shape.

I wish I'd had the foresight to do this from the start!

So it's Facebook Official...

2011-05-10T18:00:00.001+01:00

Bump - due to arrive on 30th October, 2011

Being somewhat superstitious, I felt strongly that my partner and I shouldn't spread news of our pregnancy too far until we'd reached the twelve week mark and had been for our first ultrasound scan.

So we kept our little secret, telling only our close family and closest friends right up until the day when we saw bump's heart beating on that black and white screen. And today we made our pregnancy "Facebook official", posting our scan photo on each of our walls and making our news public.

Though for me, it wasn't without much trepidation!

Both my partner and I are of the understanding that posting something on Facebook is something made immediately public, and which can't ever be taken back. We were a couple for many months before declaring our status as an item! And through all the hardship of divorcing my ex-husband, I refused to even mention it once. Not even when I reverted back to using my maiden name.

Yes, Facebook is a social networking site, an extension of our real-life social circle if you please. Though while so many of my friends and peers use Facebok to maintain and extend their offline relationships, I can't help but be ultra aware of the Jeremy-Kyle generation, and the harmful gossip which often originates from a misinterpreted comment.

Call me old fashioned, but I'll never post something identifiably personal or gossipy on Facebook (or indeed on any other web site!). Except for those rare times when I can share something important to me and my family which spreads smiles and happiness.

Which is why today we have made our pregnancy Facebook Official, and can't wait to the day when we can tell the world that bump has made an entrance to the world!

The Dangerous Book for Boys - Book Review

2011-05-09T00:12:00.022+01:00

Each Friday on Glamumous, you'll find book reviews of titles both new and old. This week, I'm reviewing The Dangerous Book for Boys by Con and Hal Iggledon, a title which promises to please boys from 9 to 90 - and our family all agree that it lives up to this claim!

Through The Dangerous Book for Boys, the Iggledons take us back to an era before MTV and videogames - when boys climbed trees, made slingshots with rubber bands and read about the true-life adventures of men they aspired to be like.

Including such classic projects as the ultimate paper plane and the best treatment for conkers, The Dangerous Book includes activities which can be done year round, including loads of activities which come in handy for a rainy day.

Not just for the boys, my daughter enjoys this book just as much as my son and frequently dives in to a random page (making her feminine imprint on the more masculine makes of course!), though we've found The Daring Book for Girls to be a worthwhile read too!

Without a doubt, our whole family give this book the full five stars. It's a beautiful addition to any family library and the easiest thing to bring out on those days when all the kids have to say is "I'm bored..."

Book Title: The Dangerous Book for Boys

Reviewed by: Amanda Kennedy on 05-11-2011

Rating: 5/5

Get Set for Free Comic Book Day

2011-05-03T12:00:00.002+01:00

Celebrate Free Comic Book Day!

Although I'm now probably too old to be hanging around comic book shops, I sometimes use my son as an excuse to indulge in my inner child-geek =]

So when I heard about Free Comic Book Day, I was thrilled - free comics just for turning up?

Free Comic Book Day happens the first Saturday in May in participating comic book stores across the world. In 2011, this will be on Saturday 7th May.

Everyone who visits a participating store will be entitled to a free comic book (some stores may offer more than one, depending on availability and individual policy). There's a wide variety on offer to suit all ages including:

The Green Lantern
Kung Fu Panda
The Dark Crystal
Spiderman
2000 A.D.

And more!

To find your local participating store, use the FCBD store locator and search for your local town. Perhaps we'll see you there this weekend!

Image credit: enokson, via Flickr

What to buy from Primark

2011-05-02T12:00:00.003+01:00

What to buy from Primark (and what to avoid)

In recent years, Primark has become a stable stopover for savvy shoppers hoping to blag quite a few bargains for their cash.

But as the old saying goes, we often "pay for what we get" - while Primark's selection is immense and very cheap, not everything is up to scratch. So inspired by this very helpful thread on the MoneySavingExpert forums, I thought I'd share my personal favourite buys from this budget high-street store.

For yourself...

Basic Tees (£2-3 each) - I prefer the short sleeved type in 100% cotton which wash and wear well for a few months at least (and I wear mine often!)
Underwear (from £2 to about £8) - Primark knickers aren't really meant to be worn or washed often (I've found most will begin to degrade after a few wears). But their camisole sets and t-shirt bras are fabulous, and there's a beautiful range of lingerie too!
Socks and tights (£1-3) - There's always a fabulous selection at low prices. Check out the reduced section for the best bargains
Hair accessories and costume jewelry (£1-5) - With packs of 20 bobbles or hair slides from just £1 and pretty jewelry from the same price, it's easy to jazz up tired outfits on the cheap
Shoes (£2.75-20) - Some of my favourite footwear EVER originated in a Primark store. My pretend-Uggs cost just £4 and lasted more than an entire winter of being worn everyday. I still own some of the prettiest sandals I've ever seen five years after purchase, and those cheap ballerina pumps at £2.75 a pair are worth it even for a single wear.

For the man in your life...

T-Shirts (from just £1.90!) -Even my local charity shops don't offer tees as cheap as these! The cheapest cotton ones do stretch after a few wears but are ideal for holidaying or lounging. We prefer the "branded" ones with bold logos across the front which have lasted for ages, such as a Top Gun one (£4) and a retro Atari tee (£6, often reduced to just £3).
Hoodies and Sweatshirts (£8-12) - Plain ones can be even cheaper, but the best are those with contrasting trims and/or logos. Often we find them reduced and snap them up for later wear.
Fitted Boxer Shorts (£3) - Unlike the ladies' knickers, these cotton shorts wash and wear well, and are usually sold in packs of 2.

For the kids...

Babygros and baby vests (£2-5) - Not the best quality, but good for those early months when baby outgrows clothes like there's no tomorrow
Cotton dresses for girls (£6-10) - These are not only beautiful but last ages too! Almost all my daughter has had were still good enough to pass on to the charity shop when she outgrew them. Wash on a low temperature to preserve the colour.
Cotton Tees (£1+) - Not really meant to last, but then does anyone have a child whose tee shirts last more than a few months?
Accessories (£1+) - From sunglasses to baseball caps, hair accessories, bags and everything between, there's a lot to be found for under £1 for the most discerning of young tastes
Party clothes (£8-ish for an outfit) - Great prices for those outfits which won't be worn often, but which still need to look pretty or smart

What not to buy

Things which we've learned from experience to avoid include:

Women's cheap knickers (unless you plan to wear only a couple of times, they tend to lose shape or fall apart)
Ladies jeans - I've never found a well-fitting pair!
Flimsy fashion pieces, which tear or lose shape very easily
Pajamas (apart from the winter shirt types) which barely last a few wears
Perfume, it almost always smells cheap!

What do you think?

Do you have any favourite finds at Primark? Is there anything you'd particularly avoid buying from this store? Share your thoughts by leaving your comments below.

A "Review Generator" to Easily Mark up your Review Posts

2011-05-01T09:00:00.002+01:00

Review Generator

After writing up a tutorial explaining how to mark up review posts for better visibility in search engines, I decided to create a "Review Generator" which you can use to write up formatted reviews for your site.

This review generator uses a simple form in which you can add details of your review. You can then generate the code to paste into your blog post, and even preview the content of your review.

Learn more about marking up review posts, or head on over to the review generator page to start using it right away!

Mummy Bloggers - Mark up your Reviews for Better Visibilty in Search Engines

2011-04-30T12:00:00.000+01:00

In recent weeks, I've been marking up my book reviews using microformat review code. This will enable my reviews to appear more prominently in search engine results where rich snippets are available, like this:

An example of a "marked-up" review in Google search results

Unlike regular search results which display only plain text, pages which are marked up using microformats are more eye-catching and concise, containing star-ratings, summaries and more.

Many major websites have been marking up their pages using microformats for some time, but as Google is beginning to display rich snippets among regular search results it's important for us as independent bloggers to keep up and retain our search engine rankings!

So in this post I'll explain how we can easily mark up our review posts and enhance their ranking in search engine results.

How to mark up review posts for rich snippets

In order to mark up posts using microformats, we need to edit the HTML content of the post.

Most blogging services (such as Wordpress, Blogger and TypePad) allow us to switch between HTML and WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) post editors.

By editing the HTML of our posts, we are able to wrap important information in our posts in unobtrusive or <div> tags using class names required for microformat mark-up.

These class names tell Google (and other search engines) what the content refers to. For example:

 defines a summary of the review
 defines the name of the person writing the review

The following explains all of the possible class names which can be used to define information contained in reviews:

Property	Description
`itemreviewed (item)`	The item being reviewed. In microformats, can include the name of the item reviewed (`fn`).
`rating`	A numerical quality rating for the item (for example, 4). You can indicate a rating scale by specifying `best` (default: 5) and `worst` (default: 1).
`reviewer`	The author of the review.
`dtreviewed`	The date that the item was reviewed in ISO date format.
`description`	The body of the review.
`summary`	A short summary of the review.

(Via Google Webmaster Tools documentation)

Examples of marked-up reviews

Here is a very basic example of a review which has not yet been marked up using microformats:

Anutha Buggy
Reviewed by MumBloggerSue on January 6 2011.

Not bad for the price, but lacking in features

A cute basic pram in bold red to suit both boys and girls. Has front swivel wheels and reclines fully for newborns, but comes with no accessories and is awkward to put up and down. Not great for public transport journeys, but a good choice for those on a tight budget.

Rating: 3.5

Here is the same post, marked up with span tags to include all of the data from the table above:

<div class="hreview">
Anutha Buggy
Reviewed by MumBloggerSue on January 6 2011.

Not bad for the price, but lacking in features.

A cute basic pram in bold red to suit both boys and girls. Has front swivel wheels and reclines fully for newborns, but comes with no accessories and is awkward to put up and down. Not great for public transport journeys, but a good choice for those on a tight budget.

Rating: 3.5
</div>

How this example works

In the first line, class="hreview" indicates that the HTML enclosed in the
describes a review.
The structured information is conveyed by the class attribute (such as class="rating" and class="reviewer", and the values (such as 3.5, MumBloggerSue). You can change the tags such as span and div to suit your formatting needs.
Properties can contain other properties. In the example above, the property item describes the subject of the review, and includes the subproperty fn(name).

About the time formatting

Because it would be virtually impossible to define a single means of formatting dates across the entire web, Google reccomends that we include review dates in ISO format by atributing this as the "title" within span tags, as in the example above.

Using this date format, the numeric month comes first, followed by the date, and finally the year (using four digits).

In our example, the date January 6th 2011 is translated as 

This is nested within the dtreviewed section, and is the only "empty" tag allowed by Google in rich snippet markup.

*Google prevents all other empty span and div tags from being used for rich snippets to prevent spammers from misusing the format. By ensuring marked up pages contain real content and not simply keywords, the integrity of search engine results is maintained.

A review post generator (for those who'd like to mark-up their posts the easy way!)

I've created a handy "Review Generator" for those who prefer to mark up their posts the easy way ;)

Using this review generator, you can easily mark up your review posts using microformats, for increased visibility in search engines.

Simply fill in the form and generate your code. You can even preview your review to make sure everything is correct before copy/pasting the code into your post editor.

Head over to the review generator page to generate your own review posts, and please tell your friends if you find this useful!

Microformats for recipe posts

Google also analyses pages marked up as recipes for rich snippets and inclusion in the recipe search engine.

I've already created a tool you can use to mark up recipe posts with microformats over at Blogger Buster.

Is this post useful for you?

I realise that many British parent bloggers provide reviews on their sites and hope that this post will prove useful in increasing the visibility of your posts in search results. It may also assist when requesting products to be reviewed as you can explain the value of marked-up posts as an incentive =]

Please do let me know if you have found this post useful, or if you would like to read more blogging-themed posts like this by leaving your comments below.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett - Book Review

2011-04-29T17:00:00.001+01:00

In honor of today's Royal Wedding, I decided to review this beautiful short novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Though A Little Princess was written as a children's book, I could not help but find it utterly fascinating and endearing, causing me to stay up late in order to finish reading the same day!

Written in 1905, Hodgson-Burnett's novel follows the young life of Sara Crewe - the daughter of a doting young soldier, and whose mother sadly died in childbirth.

Born in India, Sara's early years were ones filled with the enjoyment of the company of her father, who spoils her with anything she desires (and which he would like to buy for her too!).

At the age of seven, Sara is send to Miss Minchin's boarding school in England (as it's suggested India is not a "safe place" for young ladies). Her wealthy father instructs the school mistress that Sara should have anything she desires, including a parlor room all of her own and the finest clothes any of the other students have seen.

Far from seeming a spoilt and ungrateful child, Sara is an intelligent and empathetic young girl whose excellence in French attracts the disdain (and the beginnings of hatred) from her school mistress and several of the other students. But her benevolence helps her develop deep and lasting friendships with some of the less-liked students who love to hear her tell her stories.

On her 11th birthday, it's revealed that Sara's father has died a penniless man. Spitefully, Miss Minchin strips Sara of almost all her posessions and sends her to live in the rat-infested attic where she must obey all orders and is treated barely better than a slave.

Luckily for Sara her imagination helps her to deal with her loss and loneliness by means of mindful escape, and as the novel progresses we realise she is not doomed forever... If you don't already know the story, it is a beautiful (albeit, not unexpected) end to this Cinderella-like tale.

I'd sincerely recommend this heart-warming read to any woman, and especially to young girls who aspire to one day become a princess. Sara shows us that being a princess does not depend in the slightest on one's wealth or status, but on how we present ourselves to the world and feel about ourselves on the inside...

My copy of A Little Princess was free from Project Gutenberg and is also available for Amazon Kindle and via other sites through the Public Domain.

Details

Book reviewed: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson-Burnett
Reviewed by: Amanda Kennedy on April 29th 2011.
Rating: 4.5

Glamumous Reading List for May

2011-04-28T13:00:00.000+01:00

Glamumous Reads for the Next Month

Having just read A Little Princess which was recommended in Camilla Morton's book, A Girl for All Seasons, I decided to create myself a reading list for the next month based on the titles she's recommended.

Here's my list of twelve books, including both classic and more recent titles based on Camilla's recommendations:

The Lambs of London by Peter Ackroyd
Perfume by Patrick Suskind
The Kid Stays in the Picture by Robert Evans
A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The Black Violin by Maxence Fermine
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Miss Garnet's Angel by Sally Vickers
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson

Phew - that's a lot to get through in a month!

As I read through I'll review my favourites here on Glamumous so you can read my own responses and let me know what you think about them too.

Image credit: Moriza, via Flickr.

50 Childrens Books That Stand the Test of Time

2011-04-26T10:00:00.000+01:00

Encouraging our children to read...

After reading Michael Gove's suggestion that 11 year olds should read the equivalent of a book each week, I got to thinking about our own family "library" (which currently consists mostly of my own vast collection of books).

If I were to start devising a library solely for my children, what would be the 50 books I would include first?

Here follows the books I've chosen in alphabetical order which I'm sure will make a great base for our growing family library. Don't forget to let us know what you think of these choices in the comments!

1. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by C.S. Lewis

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Bored on a hot afternoon, Alice follows a White Rabbit down a rabbit-hole – without giving a thought about how she might get out. And so she tumbles into Wonderland: where animals answer back, a baby turns into a pig, time stands still at a disorderly tea party, croquet is played with hedgehogs and flamingos, and the Mock Turtle and Gryphon dance the Lobster Quadrille..

2. Animal Farm by George Orwell

When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master Mr Jones and take over the farm themselves, they imagine it is the beginning of a life of freedom and equality. But gradually a cunning, ruthless élite among them, masterminded by the pigs Napoleon and Snowball, starts to take control. Soon the other animals discover that they are not all as equal as they thought, and find themselves hopelessly ensnared as one form of tyranny is replaced with another. Orwell’s chilling ‘fairy story’ is a timeless and devastating satire of idealism betrayed by power and corruption.

3. The BFG by Roald Dahl

The BFG is one of Dahl's most lovable character creations. Whether galloping off with Sophie nestled into the soft skin of his ear to capture dreams as though they were exotic butterflies; speaking his delightful, jumbled, squib-fangled patois; or whizzpopping for the Queen, he leaves an indelible impression of big-heartedness.

4. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

He may be an old standby, but he never lets us down. When in doubt, turn to the story of the cat that transformed a dull, rainy afternoon into a magical and just-messy-enough adventure. There's another, hidden adventure, too: this book really will help children learn to read. With his simple and often single-vowel vocabulary, the good Doctor knew what he was doing: hear it, learn it, read it--laughing all the way. The Cat in The Hat is a must for any child's library.

5. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

For the first time in a decade, Willy Wonka, the reclusive and eccentric chocolate maker, is opening his doors to the public--well, five members of the public to be exact. The lucky five who find a Golden Ticket in their Wonka chocolate bars will receive a private tour of the factory, given by Mr. Wonka himself. For young Charlie Bucket, this is a dream come true. And, when he finds a dollar bill in the street, he can't help but buy two Wonka's Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delights..

6. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Charlotte's Web

The novel tells the story of a pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being slaughtered by the farmer, Charlotte writes messages praising Wilbur (such as "Some Pig") in her web in order to persuade the farmer to let him live.

7. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old skinflint. He hates everyone, especially children. But at Christmas three ghosts come to visit him, scare him into mending his ways, and he finds, as he celebrates with Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and their family, that geniality brings its own reward.

8. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis, is one of the very few sets of books that should be read three times: in childhood, early adulthood, and late in life. In brief, four children travel repeatedly to a world in which they are far more than mere children and everything is far more than it seems. Richly told, populated with fascinating characters, perfectly realized in detail of world and pacing of plot, and profoundly allegorical, the story is infused throughout with the timeless issues of good and evil, faith and hope.

9. The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales

The Brothers Grimm rediscovered a host of fairy tales. Together with their well-known tales of "Rapunzel", "The Goose Girl", "Sleeping Beauty", "Hansel and Gretel" there are darker tales which deserve to be better known.

I would honestly recommend this for older children as little-ones may be a little disturbed (unless parents choose to edit for happier endings!).

10. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Coraline

Shortly after moving into an old house with strange tenants above and below, Coraline discovers a big, carved, brown wooden door at the far corner of the drawing room. And it is locked. Curiosity runs riot in Coraline's mind and she unlocks the door to see what lies behind it.

11. The Dangerous Book for Boys by Con and Hal Iggledon

This quickly became an unexpected treasure of a book in our home (we've even collected all of the smaller related titles). A perfect solution to school holiday boredom, this book offers a glimpse back to the times when TV shows and video games were not available and kids made their own sources of amusement.

Yes, it is aimed at boys (of all ages!), but there's plenty in here for the girls to enjoy too. Or for an all-girl household, consider The Daring Book for Girls...

12. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

This classic lift-the-flap book has been a favourite with toddlers ever since it was first published in 1982. Now reissued as a sturdy casebound board book, perfect for little hands!

13. The Demon Headmaster by Gillian Cross

Dinah Glass moves in with Lloyd and Harvey Hunter and at first does not like them. Soon she discovers that at her new school, the Headmaster is very strange...

Adapted for a popular TV series, I still find the original novel(s) offer a better telling of the tale.

14. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

The Diary of a Young Girl is among the most enduring documents of the 20th century. Anne Frank kept a diary from 1942 to 1944. Initially she wrote it strictly for herself. Then, one day in 1944, a member of the Dutch government in exile announced in a radio broadcast from London that after the war he hoped to collect eyewitness accounts of the suffering of the Dutch people under the German occupation, which could be made available to the public.

15. Eric the Viking by Terry Jones

This is the tale of a Viking warrior by the name of Erik. But Erik is no ordinary Viking. With his trusty band of men he sets sail in search of the land where the sun goes at night – but he finds much more! The Sea Dragon, Dogfighters and giants combine to make his voyage a great saga of thrilling adventures.

16. Fungus the Bogeyman by Allen Ahlberg

Fungus the Bogeyman

Life in Bogeydom is full of snot, smells, slime, scum and other unspeakable things, and Bogeymen live under the ground revelling in allthe nastiness imaginable. Briggs has created a whole new world in this sophisticated cartoon-strip picture book for older children which will entice the most reluctant of readers into books.

17. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Considered by many to be Dicken's finest novel, "Great Expectations" traces the growth of the book's narrator, Philip Pirrip (Pip), from a boy of shallow dreams to a man with depth of character. From its famous dramatic opening on the bleak Kentish marshes, the story abounds with some of Dicken's most memorable characters.

18. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

This is the story of a quick-witted mouse as he encounters a host of predators who seem to think he might make a tasty treat.

As he ventures deeper into the deep dark wood, stumbling across a hungry fox, a not-so-wise owl, and a slimy snake, spinning ever-extraordinary yarns about the scary, scaly gruffalo, he quickly realises that the hungry beast he has been talking of isn't imaginary after all.

19. Harry Potter (Complete Collection) by JK Rowling

You'd have had to be living in a cupboard for the past decade to know nothing of Harry Potter's saga!

I find all of the seven books to be worthy of owning, though many announce The Prisoner of Azkaban to be the most interesting of all.

One thing to note is that the reading standard required increases wit each book, ensuring the earlier titles are appropriate for slightly younger readers.

20. His Dark Materials (Complete Collection) by Philip Pullman

Beginning in Oxford, this trilogy takes Lyra and her animal-daemon Pantalaimon on a dangerous rescue mission to the ice kingdoms of the far north, where she begins to learn about the mysterious particles they call Dust - a substance for which a terrible war between different worlds will be fought.

21. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit

An unassuming and rather plump hobbit, Bilbo Baggins finds himself unwittingly drawn into adventure by a wizard named Gandalf and 13 dwarves bound for the Lonely Mountain, where a dragon named Smaug hordes a stolen treasure.

22. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

In the land of Ingary, where seven league boots and cloaks of invisibility do exist, Sophie Hatter catches the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a spell. Deciding she has nothing more to lose, she makes her way to the moving castle that hovers on the hills above Market Chipping. But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the souls of young girls!

23. The Iron Man by Ted Hughes

Part modern fairy tale, part science fiction myth, The Iron Man describes the unexpected arrival in England of a mysterious giant "metal man" who wreaks havoc on the countryside by attacking the neighbouring farms and eating all their machinery. A young boy called Hogarth befriends him and he and the extraordinary being end up defending and saving the earth when it is attacked by a fearsome "space-bat-angel-dragon" from outer space.

24. Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

How did the camel get his hump? Why won't cats do as they are told"? Who invented reading and writing? How did an inquisitive little elephant change the lives of elephants everywhere? Kipling's imagined answers to such questions draw on the beast fables he heard as a child in India, as well as on folk traditions he later collected all over the world.

25. Kim by Rudyard Kipling

This novel tells the story of Kimball O'Hara (Kim), who is the orphaned son of a soldier in the Irish regiment stationed in India during the British Raj. It describes Kim's life and adventures from street vagabond, to his adoption by his father's regiment and recruitment into espionage.

26. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Motherless Sara Crewe was sent home from India to school at Miss Minchin's. Her father was immensely rich and she became 'show pupil' - a little princess. Then her father dies and his wealth disappears, and Sara has to learn to cope with her changed circumstances. Her strong character enables her to fight successfully against her new-found poverty and the scorn of her fellows.

27. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies

A plane crashes on an uninhabited island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. By day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast.

28. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot

Cats! Some are sane, some are mad and some are good and some are bad. Meet magical Mr Mistoffelees, sleepy Old Deuteronomy and curious Rum Tum Tugger. But you’ll be lucky to meet Macavity because Macavity’s not there!

Throughout the 1930s, T.S. Eliot composed the now famous poems about Macavity, Old Deuteronomy, Mr Mistoffelees and many other cats, under the name of 'Old Possum'.

29. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

It was Friday night. Mr and Mrs Darling were dining out. Nana had been tied up in the backyard. The poor dog was barking, for she could smell danger. And she was right - this was the night that Peter Pan would take the Darling children on the most breath-taking adventure of their lives, to a place called Neverland, a strange country where the lost boys live and never grow up, a land with mermaids, fairies and pirates - and of course the terrible, evil, Captain Hook.

30. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

When Milo finds an enormous package in his bedroom, he's delighted to have something to relieve his boredom with school. And when he opens it to find -- as the label states -- One Genuine Turnpike Tollbooth, he gets right into his pedal car and sets off through the Tollbooth and away on a magical journey!

31. Pinoccho by Carlo Collodi

Pinocchio

This well-known fairy tale follows the adventures of a mischievous puppet without strings, Pinocchio. Pinocchio is at once a tragicomic character, and a poor, illiterate peasant boy who has few choices in life but usually chooses to shirk his responsibilities.

32. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Mary Lennox was horrid. Selfish and spoilt, she was sent to stay with her hunchback uncle in Yorkshire. She hated it. But when she finds the way into a secret garden and begins to tend it, a change comes over her and her life. She meets and befriends a local boy, the talented Dickon, and comes across her sickly cousin Colin who had been kept hidden from her. Between them, the three children work astonishing magic in themselves and those around them.

33. A Series of Unfortunate Events (Complete Collection) by Lemony Snickett

This collection follows the turbulent lives of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire after their parents' death in an arsonous house fire. The children are placed in the custody of their distant cousin Count Olaf, who begins to abuse them and openly plots to embezzle their inheritance.

After the Baudelaires are removed from his care by their parents' estate executor, Arthur Poe, Olaf begins to doggedly hunt the children down, bringing about the serial slaughter and demise of a multitude of characters.

34. The Silver Sword by Iam Serallier

Alone and fending for themselves in a Poland devastated by World War Two, Jan and his three homeless friends cling to the silver sword as a symbol of hope. As they travel through Europe towards Switzerland, where they believe they will be reunited with their parents, they encounter many hardships and dangers.

This extraordinarily moving account of an epic journey gives a remarkable insight into the reality of a Europe laid waste by war.

35. Skellig by David Almond

Michael can feel his sick baby sister's heart beating inside him, and as long as he can feel it he knows she is alive. But as her condition becomes life-threatening and the family faces the nightmare of an operation to save her life, Michael turns to his new friend Mina and the strange being, Skellig, who has been living beneath the crumbling garage at the family's new home.

36. Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder

Sophie's World

When 14-year-old Sophie encounters a mysterious mentor who introduces her to philosophy, mysteries deepen in her own life. Why does she keep getting postcards addressed to another girl? Who is the other girl? And who, for that matter, is Sophie herself? To solve the riddle, she uses her new knowledge of philosophy, but the truth is far stranger than she could have imagined.

37. Stig of the Dump by Clive King

One day, Barney, a solitary little boy, falls into a chalk pit and lands in a sort of cave, where he meets 'somebody with a lot of shaggy hair and two bright black eyes' - whom he names him Stig. And together they enjoy some extraordinary adventures.

38. The Story of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff

The classic first story about literature’s most beloved pachyderm. After his mother is killed by a hunter, Babar avoids capture by escaping to the city, where he is befriended by the kindly Old Lady. He becomes educated and cultured and, upon his return to the great forest, is crowned King of the Elephants.

39. The Story of Tracey Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson

Tracy, as she herself tells us, has had a hard time. She's been fostered a number of times but it's never worked out. Now she dreams of her glamorous mother coming to fetch her and spends her time, when she's not quarrelling with the other children, writing her life story. And then one day, Cam, a real writer, visits the home and after a rocky start, she and Tracy really hit it off.

40. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome

Swallows and Amazons

Swallows and Amazons is the wholesome story of four young children, John, Susan, Titty and Roger, who set out in their boat (the Swallow of the title) to an island of adventure. All seems well until they encounter their enemy. At first they are angry at the invasion of their peaceful haven by these Amazon pirates, Nancy and Peggy, who claim ownership of the land. But in time a truce is called and the Swallows and Amazons become firm friends. Camping under open skies, swimming in clear water, fishing, exploring and making discoveries is the stuff of dreams which serves to make this so charming a tale.

41. The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White

The extraordinary story of a boy called Wart -- ignored by everyone except his tutor, Merlyn -- who goes on to become King Arthur. When Merlyn the magician comes to tutor Sir Ector's sons Kay and the Wart, schoolwork suddenly becomes much more fun. After all, who wouldn't enjoy being turned into a fish, or a badger, or a snake? But Merlyn has very particular plans for the Wart.

42. Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce

When Tom is sent to his aunt's house for the summer he resigns himself to weeks of boredom. Lying awake one night he listens to the grandfather clock in the hall strike every hour. Eleven . . . Twelve . . . Thirteen. Thirteen! Tom rushes down the stairs and opens the back door. There, awaiting him, is a beautiful garden. A garden that shouldn't exist. And there are children in the garden too - are they ghosts? Or is it Tom who is really the ghost . . .

43. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

When young Jim Hawkins comes into possession of a treasure map, he finds himself and his companions in a dangerous race with a crew of ruthless pirates to find the treasure.

44. True Grit by Charles Portis

There is no knowing what lies in a man's heart. On a trip to buy ponies, Frank Ross is killed by one of his own workers. Tom Chaney shoots him down in the street for a horse, $150 cash, and two Californian gold pieces. Ross's unusually mature and single-minded fourteen-year-old daughter Mattie travels to claim his body, and finds that the authorities are doing nothing to find Chaney.

Then she hears of Rooster - a man, she's told, who has grit - and convinces him to join her in a quest into dark, dangerous Indian territory to hunt Chaney down and avenge her father's murder.

45. The Twits by Roald Dahl

The Twits are a couple that nobody would like to know. They are hairy, dirty, smelly and generally unpleasant. Roald Dahl's characters are possibly the most horrid people you will ever read about. Mr and Mrs Twit spend their days inventing new ways to be be nasty to each other. Each time Mrs Twit does something bad to Mr Twit, he just invents something worse to do to her..

46. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a perennial favourite with children and adults alike. Its imaginative illustration and clever cut-out detail charts the progress of a very hungry caterpillar as he eats his way through the week.

47. We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

This worthy winner of the Smarties prize in 1989 is a timeless classic that is enjoyed by children of all ages as well as by the adults who are continually asked to read it again and again.

Follow the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of the bear. What a surprise awaits us all in the cave on the other side of the dark forest!

48. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

One night Max puts on his wolf suit and makes mischief of one kind and another, so his mother calls him 'Wild Thing' and sends him to bed without his supper. That night a forest begins to grow in Max's room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max to the place where the wild things are. Max tames the wild things and crowns himself as their king, and then the wild rumpus begins. But when Max has sent the monsters to bed, and everything is quiet, he starts to feel lonely and realises it is time to sail home to the place where someone loves him best of all...

49. Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

The Winnie-the-Pooh stories have been loved by generations of children since Pooh, Christopher Robin, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga, Roo and Eeyore first made their appearance in 1926. In this first volume we meet all the friends from the Hundred Acre Wood, celebrate Eeyore's birthday, go on an "expotition" to the North Pole and lay a Heffalump trap. Accompanied by E.H. Shepard's original illustrations in colour, this is an ideal book for bedtime stories.

50. The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy

Mildred Hubble is the worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches - she's always getting her spells wrong. But she manages to get by until she turns Ethel, the teacher's pet, into her deadly enemy...

What do you think?

Have we included any of your favourite books in this list? Have we missed out an important title?

Let us know your thoughts by leaving your comments below.

As the Easter Holidays are Over...

2011-04-25T12:00:00.001+01:00

Hope you had a Happy Easter!

...It's the perfect excuse to share this adorable image by Goddess of Chocolate. Hope you and your family enjoyed the holidays!

Take a look at the new Glamumous Facebook Page!

2011-04-24T18:49:00.000+01:00

After reading BritMums' tips for boosting blog traffic, I decided to create a Glamumous Facebook page and designed this rather snazzy landing page to give new followers an idea of what the site is about:

Top half of the Glamumous welcome page. Read on for the full-page screenshot

Here's a peek at the full-sized version (apologies for the small image - my screenshot software will only capture what is available to see on-screen):

Facebook Page - complete layout

Although Facebook have phased out their popular FBML app, it's still easily possible (if not simpler) to use HTML with the Static HTML iframe Tabs Application. Simply paste in your HTML content, save and there you go!

Let me know what you think of the design in the comments below (or on the Glamumous FB page!), and if you enjoy reading Glamumous, don't forget to become a fan!

If you'd like a Facebook page designed for your own business or blog, feel free to get in touch - my rates are really good (and I do Blogger template designs too!).

The #britmums Easter Blog Hop!

2011-04-23T12:00:00.000+01:00

The lovely ladies over at BritMums have organized an Easter blog hop for British parent bloggers to share their sites and favourite posts.

If you're a British parent blogger, be sure to join BritMums (dads are welcome too!) and add your site to the BlogHop below to be included in this month's round up:

The Contented Little Baby Book by Gina Ford - review

2011-04-22T09:02:00.000+01:00

After reading this amazing guide from cover to cover, I can't help but wonder if this is the best kept secret of all the successful mums I know.
In The Contented Little Baby, Gina Ford explains the feeding and sleeping routines she's refined to make it possible to have a baby who sleeps through the night as young as two months old.

While Gina Ford's suggested routines and techniques do appear incredibly prescriptive, they also make complete sense. In fact, I'm surprised her practises are not at all widely adopted in modern maternity care.

For example, Ford shatters the concept that young babies should be fed as often as they demand by suggesting her routines are followed from the very day mother and child leave the hospital. Rather than letting babies sleep as long as they like, she explains why it is better to wake them for feeds to establish a routine early on (including useful advice about doing this gently to ensure baby does not get upset).

Little gems of advice are thrown in amidst the often lengthy explanations, such as stimulating young babies with black and white pictures of faces, and using blackout blinds in the nursery to help distinguish between sleeping and waking hours.

Being pregnant with my first child (and running a home-based business), I'm sincerely assured that Gina Ford's techniques will ensure our new baby will be a contented one, and that as a result our family life will be far easier than without it.

Details

Title: The Contented Little Baby Book
Author: Gina Ford
First Published:

Reviewed by Amanda Kennedy on 22nd April 2011
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Rating: 4.5/5

Cherry Blossom Season - A Great Time for a Family Picnic!

2011-04-21T09:00:00.001+01:00

Each year I notice, without planning or forward thinking: the week (or sometimes two) when the cherry blossoms bloom in their prime and beg to be appreciated.

As I'm driving around town, I find myself looking out for streets on my route which are lined with these beautiful trees and wishing our house was among them.

So what is the significance and appeal of the yearly sakura, and why is it such a great time for picnics?

In Japan, crowds flock for "Hanami" - the practise of picnicing under the blossoms of cherry trees. A tradition imported from China which began during the Nara period (710-994 AD).

At first, the blossoms were appreciated for their beauty, but with time the brief brilliance and swift death of the delicate flowers became associated with mortality and the fleeting time of our lives on this earth.

For me (and probably for many others), the peak of cherry blossoming signifies the onset of spring and impending warm weather. After a long hard winter, it's not only refreshing but relieving to see those delicate petals (and later, for the ground to be covered by a shower of white or pink.

To sit under the blossoms is as good a reason as any to plan a family picnic. Does your local park have an avenue of blossom trees with room beneath to lay down a blanket? Perhaps you're lucky enough to have a display of petals in your own back garden? In either case, if you have nothing else planned for this weekend I hope it could be something you'd enjoy.