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This is a commercial guest post written by Derin Clark a writer, editor and blogger. For more information about this kind of post please read my disclosure for readers page. Kat xoxo

A recent BBC news story stated that scientists believe that the benefits gained from sunlight outweigh the negatives. Not only is sunlight a source of vitamin D and a way to combat SAD, but now research suggests it reduces blood pressure and lowers the risks of heart attacks and strokes. For children sunlight is essential, as a lack in vitamin D can lead to rickets.

In the last few years there have been many warnings about the dangers of sun exposure, leaving some parents uncertain about letting their children out in the sun. Now it seems keeping them out of sunlight is also bad for their health. Really the best option is to enjoy the sunshine in a healthy way. Here are some tips to help you and your children make the most out of sunshine safely:

Cover ups

First of all, it is important if your children are out in direct, strong sunlight they are properly covered up (think t-shirts that cover their shoulders and hats), as well as wearing high-factor sunscreen. Children’s skin is a lot more fragile than adults so they need much more protection than we do.

Indoor light

Just because you are indoors, doesn’t mean you can’t have exposure to sunlight. Making sure your windows let in as much natural light as possible, while even installing roof lights can help to increase the amount of sunlight you and your children get while indoors. Conservatories are also great ways of getting lots of sunlight, especially on days when it is too cold to go outside.

Get outdoors

Spending time outside is easier when you live in the country and have access to lots of open spaces. For those who live in cities make use of your garden – even if it is just a small roof terrace. Alternatively, make use of local parks – children will enjoy playing football, tennis or just riding their bikes there.

Walk

If you live close to shops, consider walking on sunny days instead of driving. It will not only increase your sun exposure, but will keep you and your family fit and is better for the environment. Just remember the first point, and make sure your children are protected from strong sunlight.

Plan

Sunlight is fleeting in Britain, so if you know a spell of warm, sunny weather is on its way make sure you plan to make the most of it. On these days try and spend as much time outdoors as possible, giving you and your children the chance to enjoy the sunshine. After all the household chores, TV programmes, and video games can wait for a rainy day.

A recent BBC news story stated that scientists believe that the benefits gained from sunlight outweigh the negatives. Not only is sunlight a source of vitamin D and a way to combat SAD, but now research suggests it reduces blood pressure and lowers the risks of heart attacks and strokes. For children sunlight is essential, as a lack in vitamin D can lead to rickets.

In the last few years there have been many warnings about the dangers of sun exposure, leaving some parents uncertain about letting their children out in the sun. Now it seems keeping them out of sunlight is also bad for their health. Really the best option is to enjoy the sunshine in a healthy way. Here are some tips to help you and your children make the most out of sunshine safely:

Cover ups

First of all, it is important if your children are out in direct, strong sunlight they are properly covered up (think t-shirts that cover their shoulders and hats), as well as wearing high-factor sunscreen. Children’s skin is a lot more fragile than adults so they need much more protection than we do.

Indoor light

Just because you are indoors, doesn’t mean you can’t have exposure to sunlight. Making sure your windows let in as much natural light as possible, while even installing roof lights can help to increase the amount of sunlight you and your children get while indoors. Conservatories are also great ways of getting lots of sunlight, especially on days when it is too cold to go outside.

Get outdoors

Spending time outside is easier when you live in the country and have access to lots of open spaces. For those who live in cities make use of your garden – even if it is just a small roof terrace. Alternatively, make use of local parks – children will enjoy playing football, tennis or just riding their bikes there.

Walk

If you live close to shops, consider walking on sunny days instead of driving. It will not only increase your sun exposure, but will keep you and your family fit and is better for the environment. Just remember the first point, and make sure your children are protected from strong sunlight.

Plan

Sunlight is fleeting in Britain, so if you know a spell of warm, sunny weather is on its way make sure you plan to make the most of it. On these days try and spend as much time outdoors as possible, giving you and your children the chance to enjoy the sunshine. After all the household chores, TV programmes, and video games can wait for a rainy day.

Written by Derin Clark a writer, editor and blogger

This is a commercial post written by me. For more information about this kind of post please read my disclosure for readers page. Kat xoxo

I can’t be the only one with heaps of clothes I’m saving just in case? Just in case I fit it again, just in case it’s in fashion again or just in case I want to pass them on to my children.

In reality most of my clothes live in the clean washing basket and my wardrobe is full of clothes I have just in case. Sure, there are some I have for sentimental reasons; the long read batik print dress I wore day after day as a teenager isn’t going anywhere. Neither are the garments I used to wear when we would ballroom dance. The incredible memories I have attached to these clothes are worth the space in the wardrobe.

The majority, however, are far less important and just cluttering up my life. The piles of jeans and trousers I have worn holes in can go for recycling – there are loads of great was to help charity though recycling textiles such as Bag It Up. The used yet usable baby grows can be sent out to the local refuge rather than languish on eBay for a 99p sale.

I tend to sort the remaining clothes into three piles: donate, hand down and sell. Having three children means that we really do get our money’s worth from the clothes we buy and go for durable, quality brands like Tootsa MacGinty which I know will last well. If they are not being passed on we’ll split the piles down the middle to either go to the local charity shop or be sold on.

When it comes to deciding where to sell your clothes I’m not sure I know which route is best. The NCT sale can shift everything at once if you price keenly while eBay can take your offerings to a wider audience. When it comes to my clothes I tend to go with eBay and have had mixed results.

There are doubtless dozens of different options I’m yet to discover but for now I’m making three piles and reclaiming my wardrobe.

This is an advertorial guest post. For more information about this kind of post please read my disclosure for readers page. Kat xoxo

If you’ve got little ones running around the house, there are always toys to pick up or a newly discovered mess to clean. Simply put, keeping the house clean is no simple task when you’ve got kids, so it’s best to focus your efforts on what you know you can accomplish and forgive yourself for the rest.

Mums are great multi-taskers, and this quality becomes especially important when trying to keep a clean house. For example, get in the habit of carrying a load of laundry to the washer/dryer when you walk down the stairs in the morning, or tidying up the countertops and kitchen sink as you’re preparing meals. Another clever suggestion is to clean the bathroom while you’re kids are in the bath—they’re never out of your sight this way.

Storage and organisation units should be kept in every room to facilitate easy clean-up. For the family room or playroom, I particularly liked this Lego 8 Stud Storage Brick—quite a playful way to get the kids to help out with the chores! Elsewhere in the house, consider investing in furniture that doubles as storage, such as an entertainment centre or coffee table with built-in cupboards.

Following a daily routine in which you perform simple cleaning tasks—making the beds in the morning, doing the dishes in the evening—can go a long way in making the house look clean. It’s definitely worth buying a decent vacuum cleaner to run over the carpets every few days, and having a dishwasher in the kitchen to reduce clean-up time after your family’s meals. Larger projects are probably best left for when the kids are down for a nap or out of the house. Use these rare moments to do the dusting and scrubbing and to get rid of unwanted clutter in your home.

I may be an atheist but when offered a mouth-watering extra thick Easter Egg I’m quite happy to play the egg game. Just take a look at it – could you refuse one of those beauties?

The Egglet from Hotel Chocolat is one of their luxurious extra thick eggs. In all honesty the idea of a £27 Easter egg is equally terrifying and thrilling – this has to be a gift for someone special.

So the one thing I expected with this egg was for it to be extra thick but upon breaking into the chocolately shell I found it tapered off to a more standard egg thickness.

At twenty-seven quid for a chocolate egg this would seriously piss me off. If it says extra thick I expect it to be extra thick full stop. Now, I could have been sent a duff one by mistake so it might not represent the standard offering. You never know.

The chocolate itself is delicious. Sweet and smooth with a rich chocolate flavour. The flavoured egglets within are delicious – I loved the Salted Caramel and Smooth Hazelnut Praline in an unhealthy way.

All in all it’s a pretty special egg and variance in thickness notwithstanding I can imagine that opening one of these after 40 days of Lenten chocolate denial would be a dream come true.

This is a post sponsored by Ugg (their widget is at the foot of the post – couldn’t resist). For more information about this kind of post please read my disclosure for readers page. Kat xoxo

I’m not one for owning hoards of shoes. I long ago gave up the agony of heels in favour of shoes I could walk in. But with the weather turning and my favourite Summer shoes having fallen apart last year I’m in need of some new shoes.

I don’t know about you but I have wide feet which drastically reduces the options available to me. I absolutely in love with Bensimon plimpsoles (very similar to the style above) but they are so narrow I can’t get my foot into the opening let alone the shoe.

Sadly the company who were selling my favourite shoes only did so for one or two seasons and this year as last they are nowhere to be seen. If that’s not a lesson in buying an extra pair when something really works then I don’t know what is!

With the weather warming up at a rate of knots I’m dying to get my socks off so the shoe hunt is on. I’m looking for something light and for practical reasons closed toe. The more I search the more I feel that there’s so many options but very little choice.

So I spend my time trawling websites looking for the perfect shoe in the hopes that it turns up before Spring arrives properly.

This is an advertorial guest post. For more information about this kind of post please read my disclosure for readers page. Kat xoxo

New mums are often eager to get their pre-pregnancy body back after birth, but an entirely new routine may be limited by the physical changes that are still happening within their bodies, as well as the grueling schedule of caring for a newborn. It can be tempting to turn to surgery to get a flatter tummy or eliminate weight, but there are far more beneficial ways to get back into shape. You can forego the anxiety of pre-op preparations and medical negligence solicitors with these gentle core exercises.

If you’re looking to ease post-birth soreness, as well as the natural anxieties that come with being a new parent, yoga can help refocus both your body and your mind. This kind of soothing exercise can also help realign your muscles and make lifting and carrying your baby easier.

Beyond yoga’s benefits for your body, however, you’ll find that it also provides an outlet for mother-child bonding time. You can either find a postnatal yoga class designed for mothers and babies, or you can implement your own by using a soft, carpeted floor at home. Bring along your baby for “tummy time” in which you can both stretch and strengthen your muscles.

There may not be a more perfect workout for postpartum mums, however, than a pilates routine. After your body undergoes rapid changes in shape and hormone production during pregnancy and birth, it has to find its way back to normal. Pilates ensures that you don’t put undue stress on it while your muscles readjust.

Pilates not only helps strengthen your core but also revives your stretched abdominal and pelvic muscles. It can also be a gateway routine to more strenuous aerobic exercise and strength training when you’re feeling up for it.

Of course, if you don’t have time to run to the gym, you could always create your own core workout at home. This is more convenient solution because you can do it while the baby’s napping. You can do sets of scissor kicks to work your lower abs and buttocks, followed by planking, which also tightens your core while strengthening your forearms. Russian twists will help you tone up the sides of your core, and all of these exercises will get your heart rate going. Even doing these for ten to twenty minutes a day will make a difference, as long as you commit to doing them regularly.

Ultimately, any exercise that raises your heart rate or involves weight-bearing are surefire ways to tone your muscles and make you trimmer — in addition to avoiding the risk of medical negligence. However, you should consult your doctor before beginning any routine, in order to make sure that you are ready for physical exertion.

This is an advertorial guest post. For more information about this kind of post please read my disclosure for readers page. Kat xoxo

Buying a new home can be a very exciting time, but all too often people tend to get carried away with the whole finding and choosing a home part and do not commit enough time to the money part. Finding the right mortgage is just as important as finding the right home and in some cases is the pre-requisite to finding the right home. These two things go hand in hand, so you should always make sure that you have considered your mortgage options before you get carried away with buying your property.

Two Decisions to Make

Of course, it is fine to start hunting around for property online, via estate agents, or simply by driving around to see if there is anything suitable in the area you are looking for. You may even spot your dream home up for sale, which is great news. However, before you start making plans to move in and book the removals, you need to make sure you consider your mortgage options. There is nothing more disappointing than finding the right home, putting in an offer with the seller, looking forward to your new life, and then finding that you cannot get the mortgage you need.

Ideally, you should plan your house purchase in a structured way, not only to make things far easier and possibly even faster but also to avoid disappointment further on down the line. This means looking at your finances and working out your income and outgoings to see what you can actually afford to pay on a mortgage. You should then start looking at mortgage deals to try and find one that suits your needs and budget, and more importantly you should make enquiries to see whether you are able to actually get the mortgage you need. By finding out how much you will be able to borrow based on your income, outgoings, and personal circumstances, you can focus on finding a home within your budget rather than finding the perfect home only to find that it is way out of your reach.

If you have already found and picked your new home, it is a good idea to speak to experts about a mortgage as early as possible, as the quicker you can get an offer in principle the more likely you are to be able to secure that dream home and get the ball rolling with your property purchase. If you are able to get a mortgage in principle and present it to the seller, you are far more likely to have your offer accepted than someone who procrastinates and cannot demonstrate to the seller that they will be able to get the mortgage required to buy the property.

Although you do need to act quickly to get your mortgage organised once you have found your dream home, you should not rush into a decision. You need to look at the various mortgage deals and options available and work out which is going to be right for you. For example, would you prefer the stability of a fixed rate mortgage or do you feel that a variable rate is more suitable for you in the current climate? Maybe a tracker mortgage would be more suited to your needs or perhaps you could benefit from an offset mortgage? Take the time to think about your finances and your situation and use this information when looking at different mortgage products. Doing some mortgage research you should find that both decisions can result in a good feeling.