Blog

Lovely to meet so many mums in business at The Mumpreneurs Networking Club at The Teddington Arms today! Inspiring to hear about all the different business ideas everyone has.

http://www.agoodgossip.co.uk/

I just met Hazel of Chubby Babies who is a breastfeeding counsellor. She has started her business because she believes in the health benefits of breast milk but has become aware that there is a general lack of support for breastfeeding mothers.

She was telling me that it is important to get as much information before birth and the right support with breastfeeding in the early days of a baby's life.

She offers postnatal breastfeeding courses and is available for breastfeeding support and advice in the comfort of mother's homes to help them get breastfeeding established or to overcome any difficulties. Her approach is unique because she does not just offer one off solutions to problems but will work closely with mothers until a problem is resolved. She is also available to give advice on weaning.

www.chubbybabies.co.uk

Sleeping on a silk pillow case can be great for preventing frizzy hair and wrinkles, and makes a great luxury present for your loved one or as a treat for yourself.

Silk pillows prevent static in your hair from the frequent movement as you sleep. It is also less harsh, so when your hair does move around, it’s not ending up in tangles either.

Same goes with preventing wrinkles. Since silk is smoother, it is easy on your skin when you move around at night, which prevents creases and wrinkles in the face.

Just made the following recipe which is a family favourite and an extremely healthy snack too - though you wouldn’t know it as it tastes so good!

Seed and coconut flapjack.

From The Optimum Nutrition Cookbook.

Ingredients
150g porridge oats
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped
1 tbsp linseeds
25g chopped dates (optional)
3 tbsp honey or brown rice syrup
5 tbsp cold-pressed walnut oil

Method
Preheat oven to 180C or 350F.
Mix dry ingredients, add syrup and oil and mix very well to ensure an even distribution.
Transfer to a lightly greased tin, about 14cm by 14cm.
Bake for 25-30 mins.
Cut into fingers and leave to cool in the tin.

(Makes about 8 slices).

Went to Melanie Flory's mindrheo meditation and sleep workshop in central London on Saturday and it was interesting to find out so much about the fantastic benefits of meditation and how it is now being used to great effect in so many different areas including Nasa, the army and BP. There is a funny youtube clip worth watching from Russell Brand, on meditation and how it has helped him with his addictions, on her website too.

Have done a few meditation workshops and yoga with Melanie  in the past and can recommend her if you are looking to find out more about meditation, or want to start practicing, she really knows her stuff and is now working internationally. She has started a blog worth following too at www.mindrheo.com.