Stellina Baby Launch New Cashmere Clothes Range

Stellina Baby has quietly built a following for its luscious 100% cashmere baby clothes. From May it is extending its range to include clothes for children up to the age of 3. New cashmere dresses, tank tops and hoodies will be available online at www.stellinababy.com from 1st May helping you bring a little Italian style to your child’s wardrobe this summer.

Named after traditional Italian sweets, the new items in the collection are:

Panna Cashmere Dress (£65) (pictured)

Round collared, short sleeve dress with an A-line skirt made from deliciously soft cashmere. ‘Panna’ means cream in Italian.

Mandorla Hooded Tank Tops (£55)

This cute sleeveless hoodie for boys or girls is available with Chocolate and Vanilla stripes and contrasting Kiwi edging. ‘Mandorla’ means almond in Italian.

Cremino Tank Tops (£50)

These simple Cremino tanktops for boys or girls are available in Biscuit, Vanilla and Celeste (blue) or Vanilla, Light Grey and Buttercup. Cremino is an Italian chocolate and means little cream in Italian.

The new garments add to Stellina Baby’s already comprehensive cashmere range which includes beautifully detailed baby gros, cardigans, jumpers, ballet wraps, hats, socks, blankets and gift sets in a variety of colours and designs. Prices start at £16.

Stellina Baby recommends that garments be hand washed. Careful washing can ensure that the item will last a lifetime.

All Stellina Baby deliveries come in a beautiful beribboned gift box at no extra cost, making the site an ideal destination for doting grandparents, parents or friends alike.

Stellina Baby is a family run business specialising in cashmere clothes for babies, toddlers and young children up to the age of three. Its range is stylish, practical and contemporary, and is updated each season. It specialises in clothing of 100% cashmere and an unusual cashmere variant with a cashmere outer and soft cotton inner, ideal for children and babies with sensitive skin or eczema. Stellina Baby was inspired by colourful memories of an Italian childhood combined with a love of style, fashion and great design. Visit www.stellinababy.com for further information.

Young children’s academic development heavily influenced by family affluence

A new study by UK children’s charity the Sutton Trust suggests that economic factors play a huge role in the academic and learning development of young children.

They claim that research on children born in the years 2000 and 2001 shows that, even between the ages of 3 and 5, less bright children from more affluent families are catching up academically with very bright children from poorer families.

By age seven, many have caught up or even overtaken them.

The Trust claims that this wide social divide hasn’t changed in thirty years.

Read more

Parents should seek compensation over child benefit data loss, online portal claims

After the recent fiasco regarding the loss of two CDs containing the personal details of twenty-five million people either claiming or receiving child benefits, a leading UK parents’ portal has recommended that concerned parents seek compensation from the British Government, for breach of the 1998 Data Protection Act.

“The Data Protection Act clearly states that a data controller must protect private individuals’ data from falling into the wrong hands,” said Steve Masters, editor of UK Parents Lounge.

More important is the advice already officially given to all parents:

1. Check the bank account into which child benefit is paid. Any transaction which seems unusual should be reported. There’s little a fraudster could do to the actual bank account with just its account number and sort code.

2. Check mail, as fraudsters could attempt to set up new credit agreements (for example, for a mobile phone or credit card) in your name.

3. Be vigilant with letters or phone calls claiming to come from your bank.

Read more

75% of British mums find organising child’s party stressful

According to recent research from the children’s party organisers Les Enfants, three-quarters of UK mums find organising a child’s party stressful, while 26% feel pressured to arrange bigger and better parties each year.

Of the respondents, full-time working mothers find party organising most stressful and feel the most pressure to throw better parties each year, in comparison to stay-at-home mums or mums who work part time. Full-time working mums are also more likely to spend more on parties and they’’re least in favour of party bags.

The survey revealed that the average cost of a child’’s party is in the region of £200. Given that 64% of respondents said they hold birthday parties every year and 70% had more than one child, the costs start to add up. Most parents (44.9%) spend between £100 and £200 per party while 35.8% spend less than £100. However, 11% spend up to £300, just under 5% spend up to £500 and almost 3% are willing to fork out up to £1000 per party.

Read more

Five tips for keeping kids safe and healthy on way to school

The American Planning Association has come up with five things which parents can do as their kids return to school, to keep them both healthy and safe on the journey to and from school.

1. Conduct a “Neighbourhood Walk Audit” to inventory your neighbourhood’s sidewalks and bicycle routes and determine if they are safe.
2. Map out “Best Walking Routes” for your and other neighbourhood children to get to school.
3. Organize “Walking School Buses” in your neighbourhood so children can make the journey to school together with an adult.
4. Form a “Parent Eyes Group” enlisting parents along walking and biking routes to take turns being “eyes on the street.
5. Create a “Safe Routes to School Team” by bringing in all the interest groups that have a stake in encouraging kids to walk.

More information from the APA web site.

Financial problems: make your partner your first contact

Professionals who offer advice to people in financial difficulty state how important it is to maintain active and open communication with those with whom you have a financial relationship with.

This is usually taken to mean creditors, your mortgage lender, your bank, and your landlord, but if you are married or in a committed long-term relationship, the person you should have the closest financial relationship with is your partner.

Regardless of how you have decided to run your financial lives together - be it completely joined, completely separate, or somewhere in between - you still have a commitment to one another in every area of your life.

It’s no surprise that money can cause all sorts of relationship problems if not dealt with openly and honestly, and yet a survey last year showed that many people would not share their credit score with their partner.

That’s just one example.

Read more

Half of menopausal women settle for less sex, poll reveals

More than half of US women aged 35 and over are having less sex during the menopause than before. In addition, 76% of those in a committed or long-term relationship said that sex was an important part of their relationship, yet just 45% were satisfied with the amount of sex they have.

“Women today, specifically the boomer generation currently entering or experiencing menopause, are much more open about their needs and seek information more than previous generations, so it’s surprising to me that so many women would settle for a less than satisfying sex life as a result of menopausal symptoms,” said Karen Giblin, founder of the Red Hot Mamas Menopause Management Educational Programs.

Read more

High child care costs mean 1 in 4 women delay or decide against having children

One in four women have decided against having children altogether, or are delaying having one, because of the high cost of quality preschool and child care, according to the anti-crime organisation “Fight Crime: Invest in Kids”.

28% of women aged 25-34 have delayed starting a family or decided against having a second or subsequent child.

Law enforcement leaders are calling on Congress to increase support for child care and Head Start. Research shows that when at-risk children receive quality child care and Head Start, they are less likely to end up in trouble with the law when they grow up.

Read more

UK Law Commission calls for more rights for unwed couples

A report by the Law Commission calls for unwed couples to have more legal rights.

It claims that most couples living together still believe they are protected by a “common law” marriage, when in fact this isn’t true.

The report calls for a financial value to be put on the contribution each person brings to the relationship. This would mean that financial compensation would be given to someone who gives up work to look after children, if the relationship ends.

The Commission denies that their proposals undermine marriage. Earlier this month the Conservative party called for a number of financial incentives for married couples. The two proposals aren’t mutually exclusive.

Read

Tories propose tax relief for married couples

The UK Conservative Party has proposed that married couples be given a £20 per week tax and benefit boost.

Leader David Cameron has suggested that the benefits system has to lose its “anti-marriage bias” in order to fix the UK’s “broken society”.

Read more

FHM set to pull the covers back the globe’’s sexual activities

FHM have officially launched the world’’s biggest sex survey promising to reveal the world’’s inner most sexual desires, turn offs, antics and habits. From Mexico to Malaysia and Sweden to South Africa, 31 countries covering 21 different languages are invited to contribute to what will be the largest search of its type in the history of mankind.

Sexual themes and trends will be exposed, while comparisons will be drawn from the bedroom performances and preferences from nations all around the world. What nation is the most active? Who make the best lovers? Who are the most promiscuous? All will be unveiled!

It is expecting that there will be millions of responses worldwide and there is only one way you can be part of sex history.

To take part in FHM’’s Global Sex Survey visit FHM.com where a full list or questions are provided.

Adoption attachment tips and resources

Adoption Blogs has published a very useful set of tips and resources for anyone adopting a young child and introducing them into a new family setting.

Knowing the warning signs for attachment difficulty and weak attachment is a good thing, but knowing strategies to improve your child’s attachment is just as important.

Tips include maximising physical contact with new family members, limiting the number of other people the child comes into contact with during the early days, discipline guidance, grieving, and regression.

A great resource.

Attachment tips and resources

Next Page »