Mummy-Tips

Silent Sunday : 20 Goats

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Sun, 27 May 2012 07:25:00 +0000

Fatima is 11. She was sold by her father into an underage marriage for the sum of 20 goats.

You can now donate to help the women and children of Niger via the World Vision West Africa page. Even £1 will help to make a difference to the lives of girls like Fatima.

Share Niger : How to dig for water

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:38:00 +0000

Here's a short SocialCam taken at the river site where we saw the women digging for drinking water. Can you imagine having to do that?

Please help our campaign by sharing this post using the hashtag #ShareNiger

ShareNiger : Welcome to hell

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:30:00 +0000

I’d already heard stories of the Komabangou gold mine but whilst describing the workings to me World Vision’s Justin Byworth had purposely not told me what it was really like.

We travelled by car from Niamey, a journey that took nearly three hours across dirt tracks disguised as roads, dry rivers and then across country with an armed escort. Our destination, the government de-commissioned gold mine of Komabangou and the frontier village that has been created around it.

Situated 60km away from the nearest town, thousands of families have travelled here, not in search of untold riches but simply in order to survive. Proud, hardworking families whose crops have failed due to the drought and are now living in what looks to me, like the edge of hell.

It’s hot in Komabangou, really hot, 49 degrees hot and the work in the gold mine is backbreaking, monotonous and rarely fruitful. That is how desperate these families are.

The landscape is lifted from a sci-fi movie; only this is reality for the people living here with no possessions, no money, no food, no water and very little hope.

We met Fatimata at the World Vision run health clinic, her son, Soumaila (2) is suffering from sever acute malnutrition. His tummy is distended, he has an umbilical hernia, his eyes are lifeless and he struggles to sit unaided. He weighs just 8.1kg.

Soumalia suffering from sever acute malnutrition

Fatimata gave birth to Soumalia alone on the floor of her home without medical assistance or anyone to help her. I asked if she had been afraid, she laughed before telling that its how all babies are born here.

Soumalia has been receiving the Plumpy Sup supplement from the clinic for the last week and his weight has improved but he has not. Whilst we were there Soumalia was referred to a hospital in Terra, 60km away but with no money or transport things don’t look great for them.

Fatimata’s husband Ali, works in the mine but they are struggling. They have an older daughter Aicha (6) and Ali has a second wife with three more children.

Fatimata and family outside her home

Some days they eat two meals but most days just one. When they have little money that meal will be two tins of cassava flower that cost 27p each. The two tins will be shared between all eight members of the family.

When Fatimata wakes in the morning the first thing that she thinks about is where she is going to get food for that day. If she has no money, she will ask friends in the village to lend her some food. There is a strong feeling of community in Komabangou.

Things weren’t always like this for Fatimata, back in her home village of Sourghaybangu, 400km away her family are landowners but the drought has been so sever that their crops failed and the goldmine was their only option. Fatimata told us quite simply that if they had stayed in their village then they would already have died from starvation.

Komabangou isn’t the gold rush. The environment is harsh. The work is dangerous and the tunnels collapse on a regular basis. The average life expectancy of a miner is just 45 years.

Mine shaft with winch

The men are winched down very narrow tunnels into mines up to 125ft deep where they chip away at the white quartz with their tools before winching buckets of rocks back to the surface for processing.

Fatima Ali (14) gold mining : Image Mike Goldwater

Processing is smashing the rocks into a fine granular consistency before washing, sieving, washing, sieving, washing, sieving…

It’s hard to imagine that they every find any gold here but that’s just how desperate these people are, any scrap no matter how minute is worth searching for.

Hard work pays off. This 10grams of gold is worth £245

Doctor Abdul Karim Issaka of the World Vision clinic is very worried about the effects of the food crisis. He says: “Since December the number of severely malnourished children has been rising. I see on average 50 children a month who are malnourished. Around 20 of them are acutely malnourished. Two children died here last week from malnutrition.

There is only enough Plumpy Nut left for two more clinics in Komabangou.

Plumpy Sup and Plumpy Nut supplies are short

Please help #ShareNiger by mentioning the hashtag on Twitter and if you would like to make a donation to the World Vision West Africa appeal, please visit their page. Donations of any amount are welcomed.

Silent Sunday : #ShareNiger

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Sun, 20 May 2012 08:17:00 +0000

How to make my day

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:11:00 +0000

I just opened my email and found this.

I'm clearly way too emotional because I cried my eyes out!

Suicide Isn't painless...

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Fri, 04 May 2012 07:53:00 +0000

Back in January I posted about my own battle with post natal depression and how I very nearly killed myself. Tomorrow, May 5th is the 18th anniversary of the day that changed my life forever. Its always an odd day for me. It doesn't get easier with each passing year but actually more painful as I move closer to it being half a life ago.

Of course I wasn't the only person deeply affected by what I did and today I have a guest post, written by one of my best friends, Kirstie.

Kirstie was a very big part of my life during that time and I know now how painful it was for her to see me crumbling before her eyes, knowing that she couldn't do anything to help me.

Here's her story...

18 years ago I experienced a life changing experience, one that nobody, no one or any book could prepare me for, an emotional roller coaster or just 'life?

Let's just say that it was one of those experiences that you never, ever expect to happen to you, you know, the type that you see on the front of those shitty magazines in doctors waiting rooms on the front of 'Bella and Chat magazine', and on occasion one that has been mirrored in an episode of casualty or Corra, the far fetched ones that you watch in that fictional mindset that isn't real!....

I was 21, and through a friend grew very close to someone, a mate that was relatively new in my life, she was a fresh energy, an enigmatic person that drew me in immediately and connected something somewhere for some reason, someone who would become poignant in my journey of life and naturally unbeknown at the time to me, a soulmate, a new best mate, Sian, some described her as bonkers, to me she was just a funky Smiths fan, dancer, mother of the cutest little boy you ever saw! ...

To this day I have still not understood fully with the sight of hind why our paths did cross back then, and why now, randomly, and not as often as our lifestyles permit, we will hold that unique bond we have been blessed to experience.

Anyway, 18 or so years ago i moved out of home and into a little box room with Sian and her little man, situated within close proximity to my workplace, it seemed like a perfect solution, independence, helping a mate out, you know the score, coming and going as you please, no hassle from the parents, It was like being a student without the escapism of real life and bills!

As time went on I felt like I had become an auntie, Bezzie and housemate quite easily, to this day would like to assume that i am right, I loved having a little man wander into my room and on occasion looking after him was like having that little brother that didn't annoy you etc.

Time went on and we were best mates, there was no doubt about it, we were inseparable, like sisters almost and I will, to this day, having never had a sister, and having little, if any involvement in Sians life would say if I could at the time have chosen one it would have been Sian.

I remember the day 18 years ago like it was 18 seconds ago... Just a normal day until the phone rang. "she's jumped off the Haymarket" it was Simon, Sian's one off boyfriend at the time, "it's Sian she's in hospital". Temporarily paralysed in shock the were no words, I couldn't talk, naturally assuming the worst panic set in, frozen in shock, my best mate, my housemate, mother of little man, nah, she couldn't, she wouldn't. Why? So many thoughts and scenarios flashed in front of me, the laughs we shared, and she does this, totally unexpected, incomprehensible, why, how!

Leaving work in the drizzle, one of those shitty days, crappy fine drizzle, horrible fine rain that drenches you, if my memory serves me right I went straight to the hospital, the drive seemed to take forever, tears flowing and adrenalin pumping me through the traffic, a drive which seemed like the longest drive ever, after arriving at the hospital I lied saying I was her sister so that I could see her, moments before she had been bought out of surgery, she was in the room, battered, dried blood surrounded the silhouette of her feet that i must say in no way resembled feet in any way shape or form, she was alive, but just, was it fair that she survived, a desperate unpredictable act that previous to her no one had ever ever survived , by a miracle, thankfully she did.

As my eyes focused and through wiping my tears upon focussing I realised the extremity of what no magazine, book or episode of casualty could ever ever emulate, never ever had I seen anyone in such a battered shell, nor did I ever contemplate that in my 21 years I would, before my eyes i saw a sad sad, once strong, beautiful woman who I adored as a now frail, vulnerable ,desperate hopeless bed bound cripple, completely broken, splintered and shattered like a bag of sugar.

The worst aspect for me, as well as the obvious was telling Sian's mum, lying that she was in hospital and that she had a broken leg to protect her, as per Sian's instruction. Months went on and a long rehabilitation was inevitable, hours or surgery, operation after operation, numerous surgeons rebuilding that body resembling a dropped bag of sugar, a once confident dancer facing facts that she would never walk again. Being dependant on others kindness and diligence in the long painful hours ahead.

As a bestie on the receiving end my life was consisting of running around, hospital visits until like running at full pelt into a brick wall, I was smacked head on by an emotional train, Sian said she didn't want anything to do with me anymore. By this time I moved out and we lost contact for a long time, exactly how long my memory fails me.... That to be honest bares no relevance in the present light of day, we are still mates with a unique undestructable bond, there for each other although we speak sporadically if at all, those days are not forgotten because once again she has defied all expectations, three more kiddies, numerous businesses and a very respectable mom, business woman and home maker, not only walking but more recently dancing again!

How can you tell someone you are so happy for them and proud of what they have achieved by themselves through hard work, grit and determination?

One thing is for sure her story sits within my soul every where I go, helping others to comprehend their situations of despair, inspiring those whose path crosses mine, and when I walk past the spot a shudder hits my spine. I came out of it ok, bruised mentally and a dented pride at the time, but as the years pass I appreciate and understand the dignified and painful decision that was made to cut all ties in a protective way to recuperate independently and becoming nobodies burden, the guilt she felt eating her emotions back then is deep under the surface of what is exposed at face value that is, an inspiration, that is today to all Sianie To.

Love you like you will never know 'sista'x

Disney African Cats Is Awesome

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:51:00 +0000

I grew up in the 70's on a TV diet of The Wonderful World of Disney. The already dated True-Life Adventures created my love of wildlife documentaries.

Originally released in the early 1950's the documentaries were unique, enlightening, magical and totally awe-inspiring.
Walt Disney famously said that "Nature writes the screenplays," and last night whilst sitting in a packed cinema with my own children watching African Cats, I totally felt the magic of Disney once again.

The new DisneyNature film is essentially a story of family life. A single mother raising five children on her own and an ageing mother desperately trying to keep up with her toddler. But these are big cats not humans.

Sita is a strong, formidable cheetah with five (very cute) bundles of fluff and Layla, the most experienced lioness of the River Pride is struggling to regain her strength following an injury whilst hunting.

The cinematography on this movie is breathtaking, the Masai Mara planes may look stunningly beautiful but they are full of danger for both Layla and Sita. Each mother struggling in different ways.

I'm not going to spoil the story but African Cats is quite simply the best movie experience I've had in a long, long time.

As we were at the Royal Premiere along with the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge we also got to take part in a Q & A with some of the crew and listen to the Duke speak about his own conservation work with TUSK.

It was a truly amazing night. I was with Sonny (11), Biba (10) and Betty (8) and they all loved it too. As Biba said to Betty;

"Not everyone can say they just watched a movie with the future king."

I guess she's right!

If there's one movie you go to see over the next few weeks - make it African Cats.

After a family poll we rate it a whopping 10 out of 10.

Visit the Disney African Cats Site here and take a look at Domestic Goddesque's review too.
African Cats opens on 27th April.
Thank you to Disney for inviting us to such a fab event.

Win A Cybher Ticket and Dodo Pad

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:48:00 +0000

Cybher tickets have been sold out for over a week and there are 40+ people on the waiting list but thanks to the ever wonderful Lord Dodo one more lucky blogger will be joining us at the UKs first all inclusive female blogger conference on May12th in London.

The prize includes a Cybher ticket, a newly launched 2012/2013 Dodo Acad-Pad Universal organiser (of the A4, loose-leaf variety) and £25 cash towards your travel.

The new loose-leaf planner/diary fits the binder or your choice wherever in the world you are! It's Dodo Pad's biggest Acad-Pad organizer ever - for students, scholars, teachers and professors or indeed anyone hooked into the college or academic year. Its five columns provide space for a detailed daily timetable of activity (or inactivity) and it's ‘indodispensible’ for logging other miscellaneous appointments whilst incorporating a specially designed Master Timetable to keep track of regular lessons, seminars or lectures.

To enter all you need to do is tell me how many holes you will find in the new Universal Acad-Pad. You will find the answer over at Lord Dodo's Pad.

Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. The giveaway closes at midnight (GMT) on Wednesday 2nd May 2012. Terms and conditions can be found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Silent Sunday : Nigel Barker Tweets

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 08:53:00 +0000

For Silent Sunday. Do stop by some of the other blogs on the linky.

Bluebell Woods : Silent Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:39:00 +0000

I made all of my children cycle 18 miles around the rather beautiful Rutland Water this week. Betty managed to moan the whole way. I can forgive her because it was the first time she has done it under her own steam. It took us over three hours:( In our fitness peak (with Biba 6 and Sonny 7 we could get around in under two hours... we have work to be done but this is just the beginning).

I'm really proud of Betty (despite the moaning!) It is a long way and once we can sit comfortably we will be setting off again!

Future Cinema does Bugsy Malone

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:02:00 +0000

Bugsy Malone was one of my favourite movies when I was growing up. I'm not sure what it was that mesmerised me so much, the sadness of Blousey Brown or the cool assurance of Tallulah?

Whatever it was, I jumped at the chance of donning my 20's gear and heading down to East London with my girls to enjoy Bugsy Malone Future Cinema style.

Future Cinema are masters at this kind of entertainment and they really know how to put on a show. From the moment you enter the street you are taken back to 1920's Chicago with live action everywhere you look.
There are gangsters running across roof tops, policeman patrolling the streets and boxers milling around waiting for a fight.

We entered The Troxy through the back door to see that this whole venue had been transformed. We really were part of the action. Dancing girls, a milkshake bar and Fat Sam himself entertained before the movie slipped seamlessly into the afternoon.

We were all mesmerised by the atmosphere and the entertainment and the girls gave Future Cinema's Bugsy Malone a 20 out of 10! It doesn't really get any better than that does it?

Future Cinema presents Bugsy Malone runs until 29th April. See FutureCinema.co.uk/kids for full schedule info.

You can follow Future Cinema Kids on Facebook and Twitter.

How To Switch to a Custom Domain on Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:46:00 +0000

If you blog on blogger you'll be only too aware that Google moved all UK based .blogspot.com blogs over to .blogspot.co.uk addresses a couple of weeks ago. Unsurprisingly it's caused lots of issues including a huge drop in visitor numbers, loss of comments and posts simply not redirecting at all.

All of my personal blogs are on blogger but they all have custom URL's and as a result I haven't experienced any problems at all with the switch over.

The blogger forums are full of questions but not many answers, so one thing you could try is switching to a custom domain of your own.

I know this sounds pretty scary if you don't like to mess with the back end of your blog but since Blogger introduced the ability to buy a domain (through Go Daddy), it's actually really easy to do and you don't have to worry about messing up any coding.

Here's a step by step guide...

My blog address is currently www.sian-to.blogspot.com and I want it to be www.londonundergroundlover.com. Here's how to make the switch.

1. Open your blogger dashboard and go to Settings.

2. In Publishing click on Add a custom domain.

Type in the custom domain that you want to switch to.

The domains that you can buy through bloggers are limited to .com, .net, .biz, .org and .info so it's a good idea to do a search to see if yours is available before you start. You can search for available domain names here.

The domain that I want to buy is http://www.sian-to.com, it's available to I'm good to go.

3. Click Continue to registration.

4. Fill in your registration details and make sure the box for Automatically renew my registration every year is ticked.
Please do this because if you don't you will wake up a year from now with your url pointing back to Go Daddy...
I'm talking from personal experience here and it is a stress that you really can do without.

5. Click Proceed to checkout and pay.

6. On confirmation page click on Click here to retrieve your purchase.
This will take you back to your blog Settings page and you will see that my www.sian-toblogspot.com address is now redirecting to www.sian-to.com.

And that people is it.

Sometimes it can take up to 48 hours for the re-direct to kick into place. This one was instant as I set up a new blog to walk you through the process.

Please note that Blogger domain registrations are limited to .com, .net, .biz, .org and .info and the registration price is $10 a year (about £8).

I had to start a new blog to walk through this step by step... so www.londonundergroundlover.com will be the new home to my Instagram tunnel fixation. I do hope you will stop by from time to time?!

Any probs give me a shout and I will endeavour to help.

Half the Sky

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:40:00 +0000

I have spoken many times of how reading Half the Sky changed my life. I've lost count of the number of copies of the book that I've bought and given to people to read but it is that kind of book. You can't read it and carry on like before, it shows you things that you could never imagine happen in the world today. Things that we should know because we have the power to make them stop.

In October Half the Sky will be shown as a documentary on US TV and I had to share the trailer with you. I am assured that we will get it in the UK sometime in 2013 but I will keep you up to date.

I was lucky enough to meet Nickolas Kristof when I was at the UN summit with Save the Children, only briefly but it sure beat interviewing Nick Clegg for ITN.

I've said it before but if you only read one book this year, make it Half the Sky.

You can find Half the Sky on Facebook and Twitter. Follow them and make a difference.

Close Up : The Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 07:39:00 +0000

For this weeks Gallery. But do you know what it is?

Do stop by the Linky over on Tara's blog

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Smart Meter Questions Answered

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 23:35:00 +0000

A very big thank you to the team at E.ON for answering all of my Smart Meter questions live on Twitter today.

I've collated the full Twinterview for you here so that you can come back and read at your leisure.

From E.ON we have Malc and from the #eonsmart team it's Jean ^J

Please remember that the Q & A took place on Twitter, so all questions and answers are less than 140 characters!

Me: To kick things off... What is a Smart Meter?

E.ON: Same as normal meter but they can talk to us. Also talks to display in house so you can see what you’re using ^J

Me: How does it differ from the meter I have now? @EONhelp #eonsmart

E.ON: Sends readings electronically, no more estimated bills, no need to read meter & see what you’re using ^J

Me: How does the Smart Meter work? @EONhelp #eonsmart

E.ON: Intelligent gas and elec meters allow two way comms between supplier and home, ours use SMS ^J

Me: What does it monitor? @EONhelp #eonsmart

E.ON: Exactly how much gas and elec you’re using real time or in a week/month/year ^J @geekisnewchic #eonsmart

Me: .@EONhelp I can see that watching it could easily become a new addiction #eonsmart

Me: How will a Smart Meter help me to reduce my energy bills? @EONhelp #eonsmart E.ON: How you use energy in your home. Helps you spot where you can make savings eg kids leaving lights on ^J

Me.@eonhelp yes I have 'issues' with that. #eonsmart

Me: What do energy companies do with the data recieved from Smart Meters? @EONhelp #eonsmart

E.ON: We make sure we send you accurate bills, can help you work out how to save more energy, we don’t share your usage data. ^J

Me: There's been lots of health complaints from people following Smart Meter installation. What is your view on this? @EONhelp #eonsmart

E.ON: I have #eon smart meters at home & I have 2 kids.......^J @geekisnewchic #eonsmart E.ON: ...#eon conform to Health Protection Agency standards so I've no health concerns for my family ^J

E.ON: And #eon wouldn't install anything in your home that we knew would have an impact on your health ^J

Thank you to @cahmn for the bellow comments during the session.

@cahmn: @EONhelp @geekisnewchic I've had a smart meter since Oct. It's good for seeing how you're doing: get obsessed with keeping lights green!

Me: @cahmn Did you have to make a lot of changes to the way you use you energy to soothe your green light obsession? @EONhelp #eonsmart http://twitter.com/cahmn

@cahmn: @geekisnewchic @EONhelp My better half was a bit obsessive about it anyway...but it has helped to bring the children in line too! #eonsmart

Me: @cahmn what kind of savings have you made to your bills? @EONhelp #eonsmart

@cahmn: @geekisnewchic @EONhelp Difficult to know as has been over winter period + price variations. Savings won't be huge, but more conscious now.

So that was our hour.

If you have any other questions about Smart Meters or E.ON, please leave them in the comments and I'll badger them for a response.

I'm still eager to hear from people that already have a Smart Meter.

How does it work?

Are you obsessed with the green lights like @cahmn is?

What happens when the green lights go out?

Do I even want to know that? I picture the whole run of LOST flashing before my eyes and I cannot cope with that again!

I'm still undecided about making the move and I'd like to hear your views good and bad.

I have previous Smart Meter posts if you would like to follow the comments. If you are interested, I suggest you do.

Please Note : This is not a sponsored post.

The Gallery : Colour : St Pancras Station

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:06:00 +0000

I've had a long term love affair with St Pancras Station and this staircase to the underground has always felt like a doorway to an exciting new world.

For The Gallery.

Do stop by the Linky and loose yourself in this weeks celebration of colour.

Comments and views are appreciated... as always!

Smart Meters: Good or Bad?

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:07:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about an E.ON event that I went to and how I was considering having one of their Smart Meters fitted at home.

A reader left an in depth comment about the health dangers associated with the Smart Meter and I started to have second thoughts. As anyone would.

You can read the reaction here.

I went back to E.ON for a response and they sent me lots of information and the offer of a Twinterview with one of their Smart Meter experts.

So on Thursday at midday I'll be grilling the said expert about everything to do with Smart Meters.

Do you have one in your house?

Has it helped to reduce your fuel bills?

Do you have any positive comments on Smart Meters?

Have you any concerns that you would like me to raise?

Have you had a negative experience with your Smart Meter?

Is there anything you would like to know?

Please do leave any questions in the comments and I will pack in as many as i can during the 30 minute Twinterview.

I Can Dance!

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:28:00 +0000

After 18 years and a random meeting with a poster in our local Co-Op a few weeks ago, I found myself back in a dance studio.

It was emotional realising that I could still dance and I really don't know why I've been fighting it for all these years. It makes me happy. It makes me, me.

And I'm so proud of myself that I'm ready to share with the rest of the world! Vid's a little dark but enjoy!

If you reside near me, there are spaces in the Monday morning class that need filling so that the class can continue. Message me if you would like details. x

Build A Better Future With E.ON Innovation

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:40:00 +0000

As a large, working from home family it does concern me how much money we spend on our energy bills, so when E.ON invited me to hear about their Innovation campaign I jumped at the chance.
I spent the morning getting excited about Home of the Future, the Channel 4 show co-funded by E.ON that follows an everyday Sheffield family whose lives are transformed after their home is given a state of the art modern tech makeover.
It's really exciting to hear that some of the 'space age' gadgets incorporated into the house are only a few years away from becoming everyday reality in all our homes.
Exciting, if you're a tech geek because if you are the other way inclined I can see that it all seems a tad Buck Rogers.

So after seeing the Robot vacuum cleaner and see through toaster in action it was time to get stuck into the E.ON Innovation site.

Billed as being a creative collaboration between E.ON and the public at large, the Innovation site is a vibrant community hub, bursting with new energy saving ideas and services that really could make it to market.

Think of it as a social energy network where community members support, encourage and build on ideas.
Even at this early stage you can envisage some of the amazing crowd sourced products being used in homes across the UK.

There are prizes too and if you submit an idea that's chosen as a winner in one of the four (out of five) remaining challenges, you'll win a home energy makeover worth up to £2,000.
Judges then choose one of the five challenge winners to receive the star prize of a home energy makeover worth up to £10,000.

In addition, E.ON will develop each of the five challenge winning with the view to bringing them to market later this year. Pretty amazing stuff.

Interested? Here's how you can get involved.

Each of the challenges are linked to Home of the Future. You don't need to have seen it but you can watch it online on 4OD. (It's brilliant, addictive viewing and brimming with inspiration).

E.ON's aim is to work with the community to create some amazing new products and services that will be practical and profitable whilst making a real difference to the future of energy.

There are three ways to get involved.

If you've had a lightbulb moment of your own you can submit an idea. It can be big or small.

Think small acorns and let the community help your idea to establish and grow.

You can comment and help to develop other people's ideas and you can vote for the ideas that you like the best.

It's about the community working together for a better future but if you have an amazing idea that you'd rather not share publicly due to it being the next best thing to sliced bread, then there is the ability to submit via a closed route.

Get your ideas in before 9th April and the winning ideas will be announced by 25th June 2012.

In the next couple of weeks I'm having an E.ON Smart Energy meter fitted. I'm pretty excited about this (I know I need to get out more) because my children are rubbish at switching off lights and TV's when they leave a room.

With the help of the Smart Meter I'm going to challenge them to save energy. It isn't going to be easy but we will chart our journey and treat ourselves with the money that we manage to save.

Wish us luck!

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:36:00 +0000

Since falling in love with Instagram I've become slightly obsessed with tube tunnels. This is my current favourite shot, especially as it hit the Instagram Popular page on Sunday with over 800 likes.

I like it too!

For this weeks The Gallery : Light. Do check out some of the other photographs on Tara's Linky

Happy Birthday To Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 18:27:00 +0000

I'm not sure how I randomly realised this but it seems that my blog is 3 today!

My first post was lacking in just about everything but I was just starting out, I didn't have a clue what I was doing and I figured that no one was going to read it anyway!

After a couple of months stumbling along writing about products that I love I started to write about my life and I got comments, followers, friends. I was hooked.

The last three years have been mind blowing. CyberMummy, Blogladesh, a UN Summit, a trip to Downing Street and the huge decision to move forwards with my first solo event, Cybher at a time where my faith in human nature was shattered after being deceived by those around me.

At my low ebb I was picked up and dusted off by some of the most amazing people I've met on this journey. People who have become my friends, people that I would never have met if I hadn't started blogging.

So on those days when you're thinking of jacking it all in because of the latest Twitter trauma, think about those friends and the experiences that you've shared, they are worth holding on to.

Claire, Ryan, Susan, Nat, Gigi, Eva, Jay, Tara, Laura W, Erica, Nickie - thank you. xxx

The Gallery : Lanscapes

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:30:00 +0000

I love tunnels. Train tunnels, stairs, underground passages but you will already know that if you follow my Instagram feed.
As Tara beat me to it with a Phuket picture I thought I'd go urban.

Don't forget to stop by a few more pics from this weeks Gallery

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Introducing The KidsWear Project

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:24:00 +0000

Like I have loads of spare time right? Erm no...... but when the rest of the you are sitting down watching TV I'm planning and writing and doing.... stuff.
Over the last few weeks this stuff has been pulling together my new venture with my good friend Claire.
Between us we have five children (granted most of them are mine), we love fashion, we love our children and we love children's fashion.....

So if you are a parent and you are lacking in inspiration or just want to be kept up to date with the latest children's fashion news please stop by KidswearProject.com and say hello.

You can also find us on Twitter @KidsWearProject, on Pinterest as KidsWearProject and on Facebook as KidsWearProject.

If you have funky kids that you would like us to see in our Street Style feature please email news [at] kidswearproject [dot] com with a pic and full outfit details.

Stokke have a new baby! Introducing MyCarrier

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:11:00 +0000

It is great to be involved in product launches and today, we are celebrating the birth of the new baby carrier, Stokke® My Carrier.

I really got into baby wearing when Biba had Chicken Pox at three weeks old. She became really clingy and the only way I could get her to settle was to hold her close.

After nine months inside your baby is so used to your natural movements its no surprise that they want to be as close to you as possible I guess?

For more info on MyCarrier visit Stokke.com

Biba is an Original Sister

noreply@blogger.com (Sian To) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:40:00 +0000

I'm having a total proud mum moment, so please humour me. My beautiful daughter, Biba shot for the new Original Sister Collection last week and the new pics have just gone live on their site.

If you have a girl and you haven't already checked out their beautiful range, I suggest you do it right away.

Biba has been modelling for 10 years (she did her first job when she was 2 weeks old) but she came away from this shoot on cloud nine. She said it was the best shoot that she's ever done.

She loves the collection and has already decided that she's ordering everything that she wore in the shoot!

It's Original Sister's attention to detail that makes their clothes stand out. A puff sleeve here, a full swirly skirt there. Everything can be layered and mixed to create a fab range of stylish basics that are head and shoulders above the high street offering.

Everyones favourite is the Natalya Skater Dress. Biba LOVED it and it will look amazing with the retro style roller boots that I bought her for her birthday.

Original Sister are giving one away... All you need to do is head over to the Original Sister Facebook page for details of how to enter.

If you have a spare 5 mins, check out the behind the scenes vid. Yes I do have my iPhone permanently attached to my being:)