Top tips on how to get your family involved in party planning
Tune into our live and interactive webTV show where celebrity baker, Paul Hollywood, and event planner, Catherine Borowski, show you how to party plan as a family.
Show date: Thursday 24th May
Show time: 3pm
With last year's Royal Wedding celebrations still a fond memory for most; the excitement is now building for this summer's celebration - The Queen's Diamond Jubilee! It is fast approaching and many of us are preparing to party! and panic!
Whether you are attending one of the thousands of street parties that are set to take place, or having your own Jubilee celebrations, there are lots of ways to get the whole family involved and take the pressure off at the same time!
The Flour Advisory Bureau is launching a campaign to remind people to Love their Loaf this Jubilee year and to help us avoid any catering crises, they have put together an invaluable free party planning tool kit to help people across Britain plan effectively for what looks sure to be a record breaking few months of socialising and entertaining.
From classic buffet recipes, tips for truly modern sandwiches, delicious drinks to pour and advice on handling your guests, the guide contains everything you might need to deliver a Jubilee party to remember.
Over half of those planning on organising parties during this summer of celebration, whether it is street or back garden based, proudly proclaim they will be making everything, or almost all of their party food from scratch. But what will feature on our menus and what quintessential British dishes are the must-haves for our patriotic parties?
Tune into our live and interactive webTV show to hear more from Paul Hollywood, Celebrity Master Baker and judge on the BBC?s Great British Bake Off and event planner Catherine Borowski.
Paul Hollywood and Catherine Borowski join us live online at www.studiotalk.tvon 24th May 2012 at 3pm
Log into our live and interactive webTV show where the actress, author and former children’s TV presenter gives her top tips on how to help your children to get back to basics with a book as well as help children less fortunate discover the joy of reading
Show date: Tuesday 22nd May
Show time: 1pm
When Baroness Floella Benjamin featured on the much loved children’s television series, Jackanory and presented Play School, Play Away and Fast Forward in the 70s and 80s, children’s lives were vastly different. Children’s TV after school, playing with their friends and a book before bedtime were the standard ingredients to a happy childhood.
But now in 2012, a child’s life is very different and many would argue more complicated.
With computer games, smart phones, hundreds of TV channels and the world of the internet, children and their parents are spoilt for choice when it comes to entertainment.
But by overlooking some of the more simple pleasures of childhood like reading a book, are today’s children failing to learn vital skills that could give them the tools to learn and prosper as adults?
Baroness Benjamin is a huge believer in the power of books and reading in the lives of our children and she’s backing a scheme which will also help children in less fortunate parts of the world discover the incredible world of books.
The school-led initiative, which is being run by The South African Fruits Industry, is calling on children and schools across the UK to start collecting books, perhaps gathering dust on shelves at home, to donate to underprivileged farm and rural schools throughout South Africa.
Schools will also be encouraged to produce a project book demonstrating their knowledge of South African culture with three schools to win cash prizes to spend on school resources.
With only 20% of schools in South African having libraries, illiteracy is unsurprisingly a huge problem and the initiative hopes to show UK children how lucky they are to have access to so many wonderful books and at the same time provide children in South Africa with the gift of reading.
Log into our live and interactive webTV show to find out more about the Help a South African School Competition, learn more about how you and your children can help and how to get your children reading more.
Floella Benjamin joins us live online at www.studiotalk.tv on Tuesday 22nd May at 1pm
Remarkable Television are making a third series of SuperScrimpers for Channel 4 and looking for over- spenders to take part!
DO YOU SPEND WAY TOO MUCH ON ONE AREA OF YOUR LIFE?
ON FOOD?
ON FASHION?
YOUR HOME?
If your spending in one area is getting you into financial trouble and you’re desperate for help – we want to hear from you!!
Remarkable Television are looking for serious over spenders to appear in a show for Channel 4.
We want to help the great British Public make their money go further so we’re looking for families, couples, singles or groups of friends that seriously need to rein in their spending.
Whether you’re addicted to shopping, a sucker for the latest gadgets or designer wears, spend a fortune on your beauty treatments, or spoil your kids rotten, we can help!
If you are a self confessed over spender then we want to hear from you!!
For more information, please email Superscrimpers@endemoluk.com or call 0333 577 7773, leaving your name, contact details and mention that you are applying as a group and a member of the production team will contact you directly. All landline calls will be charged at your local rate and mobile may vary.
Remarkable Television’s production team will try and reply to you but cannot guarantee that they will be able to reply to each message received.
Remarkable Television will use any information provided by you for the purpose of selecting participants for the programme and will only share information with Channel 4 and any independent contractors involved in the programme.
Why millions of new parents are being caught out by baby costs
New tool launched for parents as study shows mums and dads are significantly underestimating the costs of the first year of parenthood
Millions of parents are underestimating the costs of the first year of parenthood with some finding themselves up to £5,000 out of pocket because of a lack of planning.
In the following podcast our reporter chatted to Alice Howard from the Money Advice Service for tips for new parents to be on how to make sure they are prepared for all the hidden costs that can make the first year of baby’s life a very pricey one.
listen to this podcast with Alice Howard and Sarah Smith from the Money Advice Service to find out more.
Healthy Eating advice during pregnancy and for new mothers
The best advice for healthy eating before conception and during pregnancy, is to keep your diet varied. Eating plenty of fruit and veg while also remembering to add protein to your diet with either pulses and beans, meat or fish, (oily fish is great and is full of Omega 3 fatty acids which are good for our hearts. mackerel, sardines and salmon for example.) Pasta, potatoes and rice are a good way of adding some energy giving starch. Wholemeal bread or wholemeal pasta or brown rice are the best options. Try to avoid foods with a high fat or sugar content.
Snacking:
If you find yourself hungry in-between meals try eating fresh fruits or raisins, the best idea is to prepare foods in advance. wash your fruit or veg well, chop into little pieces and store in tupper ware containers for snacking on later. Try having cereals handy, they are full of vitamins and minerals and folic acid. Serve with some chopped fruit or dried fruit and lashings of milk. Make a pack of healthy wholemeal cheese salad sandwiches to eat later. Always remember to drink plenty of water.
Food and drink to avoid during pregnancy are:
Try to cut down on your coffee intake and caffeine in general, try decaffeinate drinks or give herbal tea a chance, you might just be surprised. It is also advisable to steer away from alcohol, I would like to say no alcohol at all from pre-conception through pregnancy, or at least cut down as much as possible. Now is a good time to start giving up any smoking habits as this can have detrimental effects on your baby's health.
Liver, unpasteurized products, such as some soft cheeses, Paté, Raw or partially cooked eggs, Avoid eating any shark, swordfish and marlin. Limit the amount of tuna you eat to no more than two tuna steaks a week (weighing about 140g cooked or 170g raw) or four medium-size cans of tuna a week (with a drained weight of about 140g per can). This is because of the levels of mercury in these fish. At high levels, mercury can harm a baby's developing nervous system. Also avoid Raw or undercooked meats. Wash hands very well after handling raw meats. It is advisable if you are trying for a baby to start avoiding these food types now, as you may be in the early stages of pregnancy and not know for the first few weeks. For more advice go to Eat Well.gov.uk Healthy eating during pregnancy is one of the key elements to a comfortable and enjoyable pregnancy, not only are you providing the very best nutrients for your growing baby, you also help yourself keep free from common complaints such as constipation Or Bladder Weakness.
The first few weeks with your newborn baby should be a magical time for bonding and getting to know each other. However, babies are not born with an instruction manual, meaning that in reality early babyhood can be fraught with worry and stressful for both mother and child. It seems unfair that just when your body needs to rest and recover from childbirth, you have a brand-new baby who may wake every hour during the night to feed. Although sometimes its` easier said than done, try to rest or take a nap when your baby sleeps. Forget about the housework and the piles of washing. Make sure you accept any offers of help and just take the time to get to know your little one. Young babies can cry a lot and surprisingly loudly! Although the main reasons are hunger, tiredness, illness, or just needing a change or cuddle, they can sometimes cry for no reason. Try not to get stressed as this can make things much harder and if for any reason you are worried about your baby`s crying, seek help or advice from a health professional. Newborn babies really only need a few things to keep them healthy and happy: Food Whether you are breast- or bottle-feeding, new babies need to feed regularly as their tummies are still tiny. Whichever method you choose, your midwife or health visitor can advise and help you. Clothes Yes, the frilly dresses and cool dungarees are cute, but realistically your baby will only need basic outfits such as vests and sleepsuits. Winter babies will also need a snowsuit or warm jacket. Cleanliness Your newborn won`t need a bath every day. A `top & tail` wash with cotton wool and cooled down boiled water will suffice. However, you will need a seemingly endless supply of nappies, whether you choose disposable or washable. Wipes are handy, quick and simple for changing time, but cotton wool and water may be kinder to young skin. Cuddles Babies thrive on cuddles and contact with their parents. Skin to skin is a great way to bond and can help establish breastfeeding. Travel If you travel by car, a rear-facing baby seat is a necessity. Otherwise a pram, travel system or reclining pushchair is a must-have. A carrier or sling is great for keeping the baby close to you and your hands free. Somewhere to Sleep A Moses basket or crib is a good choice for a young baby, as the closed-in environment helps them to feel safe. However, there is nothing wrong with putting a baby straight into a cot. Advice from the FSID is to keep the baby in your room for the first six months and to always buy a new mattress for each baby. Once your baby is six months old, they can move into their own room and the fun of shopping for gorgeous nursery accessories can begin. Just be sure to enjoy this special time because, like the crying, it doesn`t last forever!
Maximise your health & wellbeing when trying for a baby
Midwife and fertility expert Zita West discusses the ‘2-week wait’
No-one likes to wait, especially when it’s for such a life-changing answer. Fertility expert, Zita West, says, “the 2-week wait, the time between ovulation and the time to test, is a time of great uncertainty for many women while they are waiting to test.”
As a midwife, Zita is often asked about what lifestyle changes need to be made at this stage. There are so many questions a woman may ask herself – what should I be eating? How much caffeine am I allowed? Should I say no to a glass of wine? How much exercise should I be doing?
Staying healthy and relaxed during this period is key. Pinktimeline.com is a new resource for those trying for a baby and provides details on what is happening to a woman’s body during this time along with Zita’s tips for staying healthy and relaxed.
The website even has a forum where you can connect with others who are also waiting to test and a bespoke fundraising section that allows couples to raise funds for the costs associated with trying for a baby.
In the following video, midwife and fertility expert Zita West answers some of these common questions and gives advice on areas such as diet, exercise, stress relief and positivity, suggesting small lifestyle changes that can lead to a healthier you and a healthier pregnancy.
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