This post was written and first published at Typecast2000 blog. As I’m away on holiday, I thought it would be good to share over here as well, as I’m sure you’ll have your own comments about this! Will enjoy reading them on my return.

We don’t have a telly, or a TV card in our house. No means at all of receiving or watching live television. Yet, we have 2 active boys -8yo and 6yo, and we all love watching sport.

The conversation came to a head in the run up to the World Cup (football in case you’ve missed the news recently). My husband felt that maybe now was the time to get a TV in the house. He’s been muttering for a while now about getting one now the boys are getting older.

But “why?” I kept asking. Why do we need something that will sit in one of our family rooms that will become the focus of attention in that room and not each other, or lego, or books that we currently have (all at once today left on the floor!).

Why do we need this piece of machinery that people say “wastes their time” when there’s “nothing on”, (listen to Bruce Springsteen’s song “57 Channels and nothing on”). I hear of parents who leave their children just watching whatever, for however long. It scares me that these children don’t develop their own imagination in quite the same way as those where TV watching is limited.

Why do we need to be forced to have another restriction added to our busy family timetable when the children or hubby declare “Oh, I MUST watch xyz at something o’clock”. MUST? Why so strong? I’ve ‘managed’ without a television since I started work 15 years ago and couldn’t afford the TV licence. I can’t say I’ve ever missed it.

Am I missing something? We certainly haven’t missed having it during the world cup. I’m pleased we haven’t had no.1 son constantly wanting to watch highlights and replays, and have to sit and watch “crucial” games. Yes, BBC5Live has been on a lot, but we can do other things whilst it’s on in the background.

How do you use your telly? For you to “veg out” in front of? For your children to  “wind down” after a hard day at school? Could you manage without a television? Apparently 1% of the population are without televisions. I’m sure we all have our own reasons.

I really cannot see us ever needing or wanting a television. I don’t think the children miss out. I certainly have no idea where I would get time to watch telly! The boys are very creative and imaginative. They play, do sports, go to Beavers and Cubs. They enjoy music and dancing, laughing and computer games and playing with friends.

So, what am I/are we missing out on? I’d love to hear your views.

I’ve just got back from giving blood, and yes, I’m feeling smug about my do-gooding! But, the last time I should have given blood was in January – so you see, I’m really not that good at helping others.

I’ve found it really difficult to fit the session into my family’s busy schedule. The National Blood

Give Blood Soon!

Service visit our town every 2 weeks, but on a regular day each time. The time of the sessions are 14.00-16.30 and 17.00-19.30 – not great with working full-time, picking children up from school and children’s activities.

There’s been a few weeks when I wasn’t well enough (had a cold), and then other weeks I’ve been well when they haven’t been coming. Tuesday is usually my long day at work, when hubby collects the boys from school. So, if I’ve been trying to complete a piece of work, then to get there for 19.15 just doesn’t seem to happen.

And then there’s also been the couple of times where I have gone ready to give, but I would have had to wait for 1 1/2 hours to donate! These were times I really couldn’t afford to sit there and/or had the boys with me.

Tonight I’ve been twice. Once straight from school only to be told that the wait would be over an hour. I couldn’t stay as I had no.1 child to collect from an after school activity. Luckily they had a spare appointment tonight. So, I returned, book in hand and only had to wait 20 minutes before called. It took an hour overall – one hour of my day.

What could that pint of blood do for someone else? It could save someone’s life in an emergency. It could give someone some new blood that needs it after an operation or chemotherapy. Isn’t that worth one hour of my time every four months?

One of the nurses thanked me for coming and told me that my life was busy enough without spending time giving blood, saying that “Chorley people are really good and we’re always busy here”. My reply was – “I’m A-negative, and my Mum benefited from lots of blood from other people”. There’s only 7% of us with A- blood, (and 7% with O- blood), so if I don’t give, who would help people like Mum?

So, if you do give blood regularly, GREAT! If you don’t, please do try and squeeze an hour in to your life every four months. Is that really too much to ask?

As you know, I’m constantly changing the focus of this blog as new ideas or suggestions are passed to me about how we can support women better.

The Friday guest blog spot is always available for new or recurring topics of discussion or information. But, I’m always happy to run a series of articles from a number of guests on new topics.

If you have any ideas for a series you’d like information on, or you’d like to share a post here, please let me know. Either leave a comment below, or contact me through the form or on twitter

I look forward to hearing your suggestions.

Lots of people use baby slings and baby carriers to carry their baby, breastfeed their baby, and comfort their baby. There are lots of different styles on the market, and choosing one over another can be extremely confusing. Basically it comes down to when you’re expecting to carry your baby, how old they are, and personal preference as to ‘what’s the best baby sling’ for you.

But this week, the whole baby sling carrying world has been thrown into turmoil, with ‘bag baby slings’ being recalled due to serious safety concerns raised by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the last couple of weeks.

Whilst all parents, retailers and manufacturers are concerned for the safety of their babies and toddlers, we must all remember that it is the person who chooses the product and uses it (whatever product it may be), to use it properly following all the instructions that are given by the supplier. Sometimes the weight of these decisions is all too much for us parents, so we abdicate responsibility to someone else.

It is great that products are recalled when there is a problem – Maclaren recently recalled a baby buggy that was trapping little fingers in it, and we must welcome that safety authorities are looking out for products that may not turn out to be as safe as initially thought. But all products which are brought to market have to be tested in some way, so we shouldn’t back lash at all baby slings and carriers just because one isn’t safe.

We would all miss so much contact with our babies if we all now chose to stop using baby slings. The whole reason baby slings are so popular is for all the benefits they bring to wearer and baby.

Lifft baby sling

So, just because bag baby slings have proven to be unsafe, please remember that other types of slings are still going to bring you the benefits of carrying, breastfeeding, and being close to your baby. I am most familiar with the Lifft Baby Sling which is a pouch sling, stocked by bras4mums. The designer was using one to breastfeed her 3 week old baby when talking to Radio 5 live yesterday lunchtime about baby sling safety. It’s easy to use, soft for baby from newborn to toddler, and gives the wearer the correct posture for carrying. Celebrity Mum Cerys Matthews loves her Lifft Sling which she’s used for her premature baby from birth.

If you have any concerns about baby slings, or baby carriers look at the Baby Sling Safe website, talk to your retailer about the baby sling or carrier you have, or go to your local Sling Meet group.

At the end of the day, our children are our responsibility. If your not happy with something, don’t let anyone persuade you differently. We’re all different, we all parent differently, and different baby slings and baby carriers will suit different people. Try some out, read reviews, then make the right decision for you. Happy Baby Wearing!

I’ve failed. I’m a day late with my blog post. I promised when I started that it’d be at least once a week, and I haven’t managed it.

Oh well. Apart from you lot missing my ramblings, I’m not too sure what else this means? Should I be bothered?

Well, the last week has been very full and exciting, but I’ve also been full of cold, haven’t slept at all well, and had a family full of coughs and splutters. Work has been fab; I met loads of people at a Baby Fair yesterday in Milton Keynes where I did lots of bra fittings for bras4mums; and I’ve been planning loads of stuff, including my posts. But, I just didn’t get around to putting a post live did I?

Oh well. May mean there’s going to be a few more so I don’t ‘fail’ again in my task. Will add to my list of things to do and SCHEDULE it in

I’ve always loved Mother’s Day – the history and traditions. The sharing. The actions to show Mums how much we care and love them. But, I’ve always had my Mum to tell. This year is different.

This year is my first year without Mum being alive. And even though I’m a

My Mum

Mother myself, it feels strange to not be buying cards that mean something special, or planning a gift or action to make her smile and tell her how much I love her.

Although, we are planning a gift for her. I’m currently in my childhood house, with my brother, our families and Dad, preparing to go and plant some trees at Hyde Hall – an RHS garden that Mum and Dad used to enjoy going to together. When Dad received a newsletter about a new woodland at Hyde Hall, it seemed to make sense to donate enough to make a difference in Mum’s memory. I then suggested that we actually did some planting, so we felt involved with the money we’d given. It’s also an active way of sharing our love and memories of Mum – a woman who loved gardens, plants and the country life.

But I’m lucky. I had my Mum for 38 years of my life. There are some children who never know their Mothers, or lose them early in life. What must it be like for them on Mother’s Day? When making cards at playgroup or school? We assume that others are like us, but it can’t be easy when you don’t fit in for whatever reason.

So, remember all women this weekend. Those who are mothers. Those mothers whose children died before them and don’t have anyone to tell them they love them on Mothers Day. Those women who weren’t able to have children, for whatever reason. And those children without mothers – whatever age they are. Use your smile and compassion and share your love with everyone, not just your own families. There may be other families who need your love and care more.

Give someone a hug today - it'll do you both good

A strange title I hear you shout! Exactly! Well now I guess I have to explain it to you?

I started a Leadership course for small businesses this week – see previous post. We had a 2 day residential to get to know each other and build up trust between the group as we’re going to be journeying together for the next 10 months.

We had a great 2 days. Day 2 was quite emotionally challenging for me. I certainly want this course to challenge me, and it’s what I need to help me move the business forward to the next level of growth. But I guess I hadn’t expected to need quite as many hugs as I got from the female members of the course.

And as I’m impatient to get moving with growing the business (anyone interested in offering a bras4mums bra fitting service around the UK? Still planning how I do this, but it’s certainly needed), I want someone to help me with my business plan. Hence the spreadsheet support someone has offered.

So, it does go together. Some of you may find you need a hug every time you re-do your business plan. Or that you avoid business planning, or re-checking your plan? Well, I’m finding that my new tweet friends are giving me a tweet-hug, and my new course mates are going to give me the support I need to grow bras4mums across the UK. The support you get from people, their knowledge and their ability to say just the right thing at the right time -it’s fab!

Give someone a hug today – you’ll feel better, and you never know how much it will mean to them.

There are a lot of challenges being sent our way at the moment. These are in no particular order, but all important in different ways.

Colour for a grey day

Haiti – this massive disaster challenges us all. Not just for our money and support, but our faith, and our belief in our own God. Why has it happened? How can our God allow this amount of death and destruction? How can little insignificant me help?

Well, I’m no theologian, but I guess this natural disaster is just one of those things. We, whatever faith we are, we all share our sense of responsibility towards our neighbours around the world. That’s why I guess it’s more difficult for us to accept. Here in the cosy UK, we do have poverty, but not on the scale of Haiti. But what we do have is our way of praying, and of giving. So, lots of people are doing what they can to help the survivors of the Haiti earthquake. Here’s a few ways you can help:

1. Become a Facebook fan of bras4mums, who will give 10% of their January profits to the Haiti appeal if they get 100 fans by 31st Jan. This doesn’t cost you a penny!
2. Give a little. Jane Hopkins @mumsclub has set up a JustGiving page for Mums to give £2.50 each. Can any of us imagine how it would feel to lose our own child/ren in a natural disaster?
3. Donate direct at the Disaster Emergency Committee Just Giving page
4. If you have your own blog, then pass the word on and tell the world that they can do something. You don’t have to just sit and watch.

This may not seem as challenging as our thoughts and response to Haiti, but most of set ourselves some challenges for 2010. Maybe we called them New Year’s resolutions, or business plans, or just things we wanted to achieve. Mine are set out in a previous post. @clairelancaster set me a challenge last week. Summing up my forthcoming year in a word – or

Themeword. Well, as a new blogger I had no idea what a themeword was. But as you can see from Claire’s post, it’s one single word that sums up the year you want to have – your theme for the year.

After much thought (and I think I would have liked to share Claire’s ENJOY), I think that my word my be FOCUS. Focus on my business, my leadership course, my websites and my customer’s needs. Focus on my family, my children’s activities and homework and their development. Focus on my friends who often need my support and care. Focus on my responsibility in the redevelopment group of thc church I’m involved in.

Quite a lot really requires my focus this year. But where there’s a will there’s a way. I’m using a few techniques and courses to help me, including Antonia Chitty’s Mumpreneurial Guide, which is taking me step by simple step to some actions for the year to keep me FOCUSED.

The final Challenge I’m setting at the moment, is that from @mumstheboss. She has challenged us to support business women in the developing world. Our focus on Haiti will naturally take away focus from other parts of the world that need our support. So, it’s all the more important to look outside our own sphere and help others. I’m sure there’s a quote somewhere saying “Give a little, receive a lot”. Must look it up!

We must all do what we can in 2010 to challenge ourselves in our own family lives, our business lives and our personal lives. We may have set goals for sport, business or income in 2010. But we must also take up the challenge our changing world is setting us – look wider; give what we can when we can; take note of everything that we do (from lightbulbs and washing powders) and change what we can. It all makes a difference, however small we think we are in this massive world of ours.

I have to say that I’m still unsure that I know what any of these things

I'm still confused, but enjoying my visits.

actually are, what they do, or how they work. But, after just over a month of ‘doing stuff’ with blogs, twitter, facebook and my bras4mums site, I’m having fun and have certainly seen an upturn in web traffic (I use Google Analytics to track my site) on bras4mums.

I’m certainly no expert, but I haven’t been afraid of finding out, or asking people, or sharing that I’m a newbie. Hubby thinks I’m mad and says I’ve started talking a different language!

I’ve spent a few weeks looking, commenting, reading, and writing on my own blog here. And I’ve already appeared in my first bloggers carnival (a review of blogs on a certain topic), and I’m going to guest on someone else’s blog soon, so I’m chuffed to bits with making an impact so quickly!

It all started knowing that I needed to engage more with the world out there. I’ve been very insular these past few years. If you look at my previous blog you’ll see why. I’ve also got so much knowledge and passion, about all sorts of things, that I feel I need to share with others or I’ll explode!

So, here’s what I’ve done up ’til now. I’m not finished. I don’t know all the answers, but I’m starting to find where to go for the answers!

1. I set up and started using a twitter account. I spent time just watching what was going on, and then felt comfortable joining in a few conversations when I had something to add. It was fun. Now I’ve got a few more followers, I sometimes have conversations via twitter, or find out information that I know people out there know.

I’ve also just started retweeting (use RT on twitter) information that may be useful / interesting for my followers.

I’ve downloaded Tweetdeck and set up groups of people I’m following. I’m still getting used to it, but am finding it easier to follow conversations with a number of columns on my screen. I know it’s not for everyone though.

2. I’ve recently set up a new Facebook page from my personal page (using a totally different email account). I was finding it difficult to add relevant pages to my business page that were also relevant to my personal friends.

I’m now able to add my favourite pages that are relevant to bras4mums fans and share information about special offers with them without upsetting my family and close friends. I’m much more relaxed about using facebook now, and have 27 fans at last count! Not bad for a week’s worth of promotion!

3. I obviously set this Wordpress blog up last month, with help from @Erica and her Mummy Blogger Workbook, and have managed to set it up on it’s own domain; add a theme (I’ve also messed one up by trying to be clever and it not working!); add widgets and plug ins. I have no idea what the difference is, but they’re all doing what I want them to do, so that’s fine by me!

4. I’ve started doing SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) work on my shop site with help from the SEO Training Club and @alisonrothwell. Since doing more research on SEO, I’ve found that everything’s interlinked!

5. I’ve set up a direct link from my Facebook fanpage to twitter, and a link from twitter to my business personal profile.

6. I’ve managed to share some of my work, and that of other people with my business facebook page, and personal facebook page using the share buttons you see on sites.

7. I’ve set up a Reader to enable me to read other people’s blogs and websites and keep up to date with people/sites I’ve found are interesting personally or professionally.

So, you can see that I’ve started OK. I’m really enjoying writing my blogs, and have found it cathartic for some of my personal issues, and have already had some comments that have helped me move forward on a certain issue.

Yes, it’s time consuming. But, I feel that the groundwork I’ve been able to put in over these snow affected couple of weeks will set me up for reviewing, revising and growing this year.

Advice for other newbies is don’t be afraid to ask! Join in as many conversations or forums as you can. Weigh up all the answers then go with what you’re happy doing. There are so many resources out there, we just need to use them!

Don’t be afraid. Don’t ever do it if it’s a chore. Do enjoy it all. Do have a reason why you’re spending so much time stuck to your computer.

I’m happy to tell you how I’ve done things, but it may not be in techy speak! Let me know how you’re doing and what resources you use to learn.