frustratedyukkymummy Blog

Father's Day next month, and as we have a lot of granddads and obviously dads to think about, I have been buying bits to make with the children, some from Yellow Moon, which has a nice range.

What I wondered is, what presents are you buying? Any suggestions? Products to tell me about? Days out to recommend?

Now is your chance to share on my blog - obviously I cannot blog yet about our gifts and plans, but I will be doing a blog post after event with pictures of the finished articles!

Really excited to see what you guys come up with!

Two weeks till half term...you mums prepared?

My eldest, Book Worm, who is now 5 is not a fussy eater at all, but since he started full time school and wanted packed lunches, he is become a very discerning boy and he only wants the best for his lunchbox! This is left me in a cold sweat in the supermarket some weeks, looking for nice treats and products that are healthy but will still pass the taste test!

Hoops and Crosses are a new product from Walkers, and at only 85 calories a bag, they certainly pass the healthy to eat test for us parents. My son really likes them too, and they come in three flavours – all suitable for vegetarians (prawn cocktail, roast beef, salt and vinegar) so it provides a decent enough variety for school days. My youngest, Little Man has lunch at home and he loves these crisps too - in particular the prawn cocktail ones and he often plays with the shapes on his lunch plate. I don't even feel guilty having the odd nibble either because they are low cal! Bonus for nibbling mums in my book! Hoops and Crosses are made from wholegrains, have no artificial colours or preservatives and kids love them, so it's a win win for me!

Little Man with his crisps and Lion the Monkey.

I was sent the above box to do an honest product review, all opinions are our own.

Making the decision to be an au pair can be very rewarding, both in terms of what you get out of the work itself, and through the kind of experiences that you can build up when living in another country. Working as an au pair in the UK is particularly worthwhile, as you live with a family and provide extra help around the house, in exchange for bed and board, as well as a small allowance. It’s worth, then, looking at what you can expect as an au pair, how much it’ll cost, and what things you’ll need to do before and during your time as an au pair.

It’s first important to remember that you’re not going to be a nanny or a child minder; these roles require qualifications and training. Instead, being an au pair means that you move to another country and live with a family. You get your own room, and sometimes an en suite bathroom. Most au pairs are aged between 18 and 27 years old, and are expected to provide some babysitting and cooking duties, as well as helping out with basic household takes. You won’t be allowed to look after children under the age of 2 on your own, and shouldn’t be given heavy housework or gardening duties.

Most au pairs will spend between 12 and 24 months with a family, with the length of a stay depending on negotiations between you and individual families. How long and where you stay will also depend on whether you want to go to a large city or a smaller town. In general, being an au pair means that you can immerse yourself in a culture for an extended period of time; this is an excellent way to learn a language and get more comfortable with being in a foreign country.

In terms of costs, you won’t have to pay for your room, but you will have to work around 30 hours a week. ‘Working’ here does mean, however, that you don’t work shifts, but rather that you’re available to be in the house, to help with children, and run errands. As well as your room and board, you should receive around £85 to £100 a week as an allowance. It’s important to remember, though, that you’ll need to have enough funds to pay for your flight or transport, and that you have some savings to cover costs.

The cost of living as an au pair can vary quite significantly; being based somewhere like London will be expensive if you have to commute and shop locally. Most au pairs will take off a day in the week on the weekend, and also spend time during the week completing a language course at a local college or university. Again, holiday times are negotiable with a family - you may choose to go on holiday with them if it’s cheaper.

When deciding if you want to take part in an au pair scheme, it’s crucial to go through a reputable au pair agency; don’t be taken in by online scams that offer to pay for all your flights and expenses, or that don’t want to have a telephone or video interview before you travel. Always draw up a contract with a family or an agency before you take part in an au pair scheme, and make sure that you have the option of backing out if things do go wrong.

It’s important to know where to start when it comes to volunteering for a charity; as well as knowing where you want to go, and what kind of charity work you want to focus on, it’s also crucial to look at specific opportunities, and to find ways to make your CV stand out for competitive positions. However, it’s also necessary to be aware of the realities of volunteering, and not to over-commit yourself.

Researching Your Charity

You may already have a fairly clear idea about where you want to go, and what you want to do in terms of volunteering; spend time reading up on charities via their official websites, and think about initially limiting your search to your local area; there may be local homeless shelters and other fundraising teams that can provide you with valuable experience, and can act as a stepping stone to volunteering overseas. Check online resources such as volunteering.org.uk, and make a list of leading charities and their volunteering opportunity pages for regular online browsing.

Looking for Particular Opportunities

Be aware of the different volunteering opportunities that are available for travelling, and for specific fundraising events and crises that you’re passionate about; you want to make sure that you understand what’s asked of you with overseas volunteering, and what the logistics will be in terms of travel and costs. Groups like Volunteer Work Abroad and Volunteer4Africa can be useful places to find out more information.

Make Yourself Stand Out

Local volunteering can help to enhance your experience, and can give you something to put on your CV when applying for competitive places; if you want to develop a career in charity work beyond volunteering, you will need to build up various examples of experience, so work on making yourself available for different events. It’s also worth making a point of researching the aims of a charity before applying for a volunteer position.

Be Aware of the Realities of Volunteering

If you are going to travel and volunteer, always be aware of the costs and the difficulties associated with it - some people don’t realise how much they might have to pay to travel and stay in accommodation while volunteering, or may only have a vague (and romantic) idea of what their work will involve. Again, try to find out as much information as you can about where you’re going to be going, and what’s expected of you with regards to work.

Start Small and Build Up Experience

Volunteering isn’t for everyone, and don’t go for a large scale project before building up experience with local events and charities; you also need to consider how different kinds of charity work will involve different skills, from over the phone fundraising through to practical building and repair. Don’t rush into volunteering if you’re not going to be responsible, and make sure that you can follow through on commitments. The more time you spend volunteering in your local area, the clearer you’ll be about whether it’s right for you.

BOOK DESCRIPTION
Love is something everyone longs for at the deepest level—but for some, love is a curse. This is most certainly true for Asher Lake, the Keeper of an unknown group of people called ani-shifts. Ani-shifts, those with the ability to shift into animal forms, compose a secretive body of individuals known simply as the Union.
A wolf in shifter form, Asher lives with a curse placed upon him and his predecessors by the elusive Raven—a dark entity whose identity remains a mystery. According to the ancient archives, the Raven’s curse is conditional and set in motion by one fatal decision: if a Keeper ever allows himself to fall in love he will die.
Choosing to live in isolation within the walls of Lake Manor, a private estate concealed by the dense woods of Brokenridge, Asher has vowed never to love or to fall in love with anyone believing it to be the only way to survive. However, after ten years of neglecting his people and the protégés left in his care, along with the impending threats of an uprising, Asher learns the only way to break the Raven’s curse on future Keepers, thereby preventing them from suffering the same fate, is to accept his.
This becomes his strongest challenge of all when he encounters Elle Ison, the woman of his dreams. Does Elle hold the key? Can she help him change his fate?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

When it seemed like I was only an F away from flunking out of the sixth grade, a retired school teacher took me under her wing. After some tutoring and testing, she informed
my parents that the reason I was having trouble in school wasn’t because I was dumb but instead dyslexic.
When my stepfather heard this, he decided to take me to a used bookstore with the belief that the best way to improve my reading skills was to read. Some of the books were hard to get through at first, but with his encouragement I refused to give up. We made many trips to that bookstore, and I especially loved the science fiction and fantasy sections.
Then one day, after complaining about the ending of a particular book, he told me that if I didn’t like the books that I had been reading, then to write one myself—so I did. My first attempt resulted in a horribly written western when I was fourteen, staring a cocky gun slinging cowboy by the name Curt Calhoun. Curt along with his seven brothers, who all shared C names in common, may never have seen the pages of a book, but that was the day I started writing, and never stopped.
I have over fifty books on my computer which I've written in various genres, all of which are waiting to come to life. Even though my ability to write has improved over the years, I am humble enough to admit that I cannot venture on this journey alone
Sincerely yours, Shawn Reilly

Shawn Reilly lives in Mt. Comfort Indiana with her husband, and three daughters. Call of the Raven is her debut novel. She is currently working on the second novel in the Union series. She writes in various genres, which include paranormal romance/urban legend, science fiction, dystopian, fantasy, suspense, and dramedy.

I typically write in the paranormal romance genre and science fiction, for both adult and YA. Those are my favorite to write since I grew up on the three S’s—Star Trek, Star Wars, and Sammy Terry. Sammy Terry was a vampire that hosted a show on Friday nights, on our local television station in Indiana. My twin sister and I especially loved the shows about vampires and werewolves. So in essence, I have loved the paranormal world long before I started writing.
Most of the plots for my books tend to come from my huge imagination and weird dreams—probably brought on by the movies I still tend to watch. The Union series, however, just so happened to come to me when my daughter held me captive once when I was sick, and was unable to move off the couch. She made me watch several episodes of her favorite anime. I truly hated it, at first, because the characters did nothing but yell at each other, which caused me to be a nervous wreck. Nonetheless, after a few episodes I was hooked. After that I began to brainstorm and put together an outline. I decided that if I was to try and write a series something like it, I would make it real, with real people, not an anime. However, like the characters in the anime they would shift into animals too. So I guess you can say that the series was influenced by a Japanese cartoon. Soon after that I started writing Call of the Raven, the first book in The Union series.
My goal in writing this series was to write a book that readers of all ages could enjoy. Even in a world where curses, magic, and humans shift into animals, I tried to intertwine the strange and weird with real life issues. My characters deeply hurt, have past they regret and are lonely. If you don’t like books, deeply woven, with emotion than The Union series probably isn’t for you. My true hope is that readers find the series compelling, starting with Call of the Raven, enough, that they will want to stick around to find out how things end.

Author Links
Facebook
Website
Goodreads
Twitter

REVIEW

I love shape shifter books when they are done well, when they are done badly they can totally cringe you out! Luckily this one is extremely well written, especially for a debut novel and I really enjoyed the mystical tale. I love the storyline of a lost soul entering a fantasy adventure and empowering themselves. I am looking forward to seeing what Book 2 in the series brings.

A strong 4 stars from me.

Out on on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

SYNOPSIS

“Relish this moment in My favor. It is your last.”

Six angels once sat at the right hand of The Almighty, but an ill-fated decision cast them out of Heaven. Now they serve Him on Earth, slaying demons for their redemption. They are…The Fallen.

Lucius, once revered at the side of God, fell to Earth with his brothers to pay penance and atone for his lapse in leadership. Wingless and forsaken, they have all paid a price for their complicity. Lucius’ hubris is now a curse, and he cannot rest until they carry out the last of The Almighty’s orders...and stop a war that has been millennia in the making.

Persephone Roberts is always in the right place at the right time, the serendipity allowing her to help people on her travels. When it leads her to cross paths with the band of hard-living fallen angels, she sets her sights on their leader, and is determined to restore Lucius’ faith in their quest. And in himself.

But the ancient evil the angels strive to fight has put Persephone in its crosshairs. It will be up to Lucius and his brothers to save her and destroy the minions of the dark. Can the amber-eyed beauty with her accepting heart heal wounds that cut soul deep, and force him to reclaim a glory he once tossed aside? Is he strong enough to realize the path back to Heaven begins with her, or will he be forever...fallen?

Excerpt (18+)
The subtle whoosh of air from the doorway ahead made all five angels turn as one.
“Is there another one?” Lucius muttered. Turning to Domniel, he said, “Can you smell another one?”
Domniel lifted his head and walked toward the doorway. “Hard to tell. That smell's everywhere. I'll follow it and see what I find.”
“Good. Elijah, go with him,” Lucius said as he bent toward the pool of goo to begin purifying the remains. From the corner of his eye, Lucius watched Elijah nod and jog off to catch up with Domniel.
Task finished, he placed the vial of holy water in his pocket, and called after the blind angel. “Dom?”
“Yeah, man, out here.”
He motioned to Jude and Mordecai, and they ran across the street to another parking lot. He paused as he realized Domniel and Elijah weren’t alone.
A woman stared at them from across the lot. She looked calm. A dark halo of thick curls was pulled back tight, emphasizing an oval face and high cheekbones. The assassin-chic ensemble she sported could not detract from the feminine perfection she represented.
She laid smoldering eyes on them and growled, her voice smoky and rich, “Figures I would find pigeons here. It is the gutter, after all.”
Domniel’s head tilted and Lucius knew he was trying to locate her. He caught a whiff of sand and something exotic and ancient. He knew the blind angel had found her when he turned, putting his shades on her.
“Where the fuck did you come from?” Domniel snarled.
She laughed, the sultry sound designed to stir men’s loins. “A higher plane of existence, you useless bird.”
His dark sunglasses looked her up and down. “No shit, you a Jersey girl? That explains a lot.”
She glared at him before bringing her arm forward to reveal a flaming scimitar. “You pigeons always have to crap on somebody else's sidewalk, don’t you?”
Lucius stepped forward and laid a hand on Domniel's shoulder, urging him to stand down. Apprehension collided with recognition like a shot to his gut, and he gave the deposed goddess a slow, tight smile, hoping that this encounter would leave them with all their limbs.
“Hello, Khemrhy.”
“Do you have any idea what you just screwed up?” Khemrhy laid the scimitar across her back, the fire dying and sword disappearing before she leaned against an old Chevy pickup, one foot planted squarely on the front bumper.
Before anyone could slap a hand over his mouth, Domniel spouted, “Could it be your hot date for this century?”
Khemrhy smiled and stood back up. “No, you fool. You messed with my hunt. He was leading me back to something important. Not that you could ever understand that.”
Always cautious in his dealings with Khemrhy, Lucius put a hand over Domniel's mouth and said, “We think there's a second one. Did you see anything?”
“Of course. The other one went that way,” she said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder to indicate the alley behind her. Something about it seemed too simple, but a gust of wind brought the stench of brimstone strong enough that they could all smell it.
As Lucius, Jude, and Mordecai began to head past Khemrhy, they instinctively gave her a wide berth. From behind them, Domniel said, “I'll stay here and keep an eye on her. I still don't trust the bitch.”
“Little hard to keep an eye on someone when you're blind, pigeon,” she quipped. “Maybe you should get a dog.”
Lucius heard Domniel mouthing off in the distance and rolled his eyes, hoping she didn't remove any limbs. This time.
“A dog, huh? You’ll do. Let me see if I can find a leash and a muzzle,” Domniel snapped back. “Though you might be a little front end heavy to be running around on hands and knees, fetching shit for me.”
As the wind picked up, Lucius could see Domniel’s head swivel as he struggled to locate Khemrhy’s dissipating scent. Elijah signed to him in a panic, the fluttering of his fingers reaching through to the blind angel.
“Shit! Shit! Shit! I lost her! Where is she? I don't speak finger-fuck!”
Lucius whirled in a circle, hoping that even he could get a quick scent to target the goddess.
Ten feet in front of his sightless brother, Khemrhy growled, “I’ve got a front end for you.” And then the truck came crashing down on Domniel.
From his viewpoint behind Domniel, Lucius watched as Khemrhy planted her boot on the truck's bumper and pushed down hard to lever it upward. When she started pushing down with her foot, Elijah began frantically signing the word, “Chevy” to no avail. As the truck stood on end, she reached down, grabbed the bumper, and swung the entire vehicle over her head.
The pickup came down in a barrage of creaking steel, slamming Domniel hard into the pavement. He gave a loud, anguished grunt as Elijah ran to his side. Twisted metal groaned as Elijah tried to maneuver chunks of the vehicle up off him.
“Get…off me… fucking bitch!” he gurgled. Khemrhy laughed as she made her way to a Triumph motorbike parked beneath one of the street lights.
Lucius and Jude ran to assist. “What the fuck happened? Dom?”
“Chevy half-ton pickup,” Elijah signed to Lucius.
Lucius winced, reaching for parts of the vehicle. “Ouch.”
The sound of the Triumph's throttle rumbling got their attention and they turned. Khemrhy smiled back, flipping them her middle finger before roaring off down the street.
Domniel lay on his back, his chest caved in, laboring for enough breath to groan.
Lucius shook his head. “You know better than to piss her off. She could've killed you, dumbass.”
Domniel wheezed, turned his head and spat out two bloody teeth. “Get 'Magic Fingers' over here - good to go.”
Elijah tapped Lucius on the shoulder and gestured to Domniel.
“Yeah,” Lucius nodded. “Do your thing. And get him to walk. I'm not fucking carrying his wiseass back.”
They came forward and closed ranks, making a circle around him. Elijah knelt down next to the blind angel, stretched out his hands and cracked his knuckles.
“Just fucking get to it, mute. My balls are wedged up in my ribcage.” Domniel's eyes fluttered closed in between gasps.
Jude snorted. “Why can't you be the mute?”
Lucius held a hand up, silencing them.
Elijah rubbed his hands together and closed his eyes. The silent angel’s hands trembled for a moment and then glowed with a soft, white light. He placed both of them, palms down, on what was left of Domniel's chest and took a deep breath.
Domniel lit up, his chest echoing the glow from Elijah’s hands, and he let out a deep, relaxing sigh. “Fuck, yeah. I bet the chicks love that shit.”
“Shut up,” Lucius warned.
Domniel sighed again and gave into the healing.

You can pick the book up from these places!
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Kobo
WHSmith
Barnes & Noble
Google Play
Moon Rose Publishing

REVIEW

I really enjoyed this read, following the angels who have fallen out of favour. This book is very slick, engaging and I adore the fact that the angels have each been deprived of a sense, so have to rely on each other. Very different, and that is refreshing to read in this genre. The characters have depth, intrigue and a real human side to them which really helps this book zip along. I also love the cover, and would buy this book from a look of that alone!

Another cracking read from Moon Rose Publishing.

4 STARS FROM ME!

Shifting to a bigger home in a better locality comes at a bigger cost. Therefore, refurbishing the entire interior including furniture might not be feasible for all at the same time. A cost effective and innovative option available to all of us is buying used furniture which is available at a much less price. Thereafter, they can take up the initiative to convert oldfurniture into modern furniture on their own by using their own creativity.

Here are some of the creative ways which we applied for redecorating the furniture and came out successfully. It decides best for furniture for your home and conservatory.

Splatter Bright Colors

The home owners can think about investing their money on old furniture like drawers, dressing tables, study tables and others and paint them with bright pastel colors like pink and yellow. The bright furniture is perfectly suitable for your kid’s room. However, they can use any colors in the furniture according to their preference or in conformity with the color of the walls of the room. This is one of the most time effective ways of converting oldfurniture into a modern one.

Replace Upholstery

The old sofas and cushioned chairs can be refurbished easily by changing the covers. In the local furnishing shops you will come across a large array of upholstery fabrics in different textures. Buy a comfortable and stylish fabric for refurbishing the old and drab looking sofas. Thereafter, hire a carpenter to change the upholstery of the sofas and cushioned chairs within the least time and money. The result will be really impressive and it will appear as good as new.

Use Wallpaper Innovatively

Beautiful wallpaper with elegant vector designs in different color combinations can be also used for tuning old furniture into modern furniture. Wallpapers are particularly suitable forfurniture with broad surface like different kinds of tables, wardrobes and cupboards. Nice wallpapers with elaborate designs are available for covering tables, whereas funky designs or wallpapers with cartoons and stars are perfectly suitable for the wardrobes and cupboards of your kid’s room. This technique for refurbishing furniture is easiest and least time consuming.

Polish the Wood Furniture

Wood polish is a magical potion which when used on wooden furniture change its appearance drastically. Even when very old and dull looking wooden furniture is polished nicely, it gets back its original look. So polish the old wooden dinner, center or side tables, dressers and other wooden furniture nicely to give it a modern look.

Artistic Worn Out Look

Another unique way of converting old furniture into a modern one is to give it a distressed or worn out look. It will help in creating a countryside cottage ambiance. Use sandpapers for giving a dull effect and naturally worn out look to your furniture. Thereafter, use a clear paint on all its side to maintain the old look.

These are some of the simple, creative and cost effective ways for refurbishing the oldfurniture into modern furniture that can be used by individuals who do not want to invest on the pricey new furnishing products. However, first they should chalk out a concrete plan for redoing the interiors and then start on this new venture to get the best results in the least time and at the most reasonable price.

SYNOPSIS

Rufus Sebbleford is the only boy in the world to have ever seen a real troll. So, when he finds out that trolls plan to attack Sludgeside School, he must stop them with the help of his good friend Polly. Meanwhile, the Super-Troll-Knobbly-Foot family decide to turn their backs on smelly bottoms and eating children. They don't want to be bad any more. So, they paint themselves orange and try to live like humans. However, being enormous, horned and slimy makes it difficult to blend in. Will Sludgeside ever be safe from the disgusting bad trolls and their horrifying leader, The Ogre of Uggle? A stinky, squelchy adventure packed with secret dens, tree climbing, troll traps and lots and lots of revolting smells. Reading age 8-10. Ideal to read aloud to younger children.

REVIEW

I am a fan of Rosen's work and when I saw that she had written a children's book I was surprised and delighted. My 5 year old son and I have read this book a bit each night for the last two weeks, and we both loved it. A troll claiming benefits to feed her troll children, classic. So engaging and funny, this book was a big hit with my little man, who reads above his age and is a huge fan of the BFG, which this book has some parallels with.

Enjoyable for adults and children, this book is another example of just how good and versatile a writer Rosen is. This book was the best thing I have read since Trevor Forest's Magic Molly series, which is equally well written and hilarious. Check them out for your little ones when you can.
This book gets 5 stars from us!

Out now in paperback and Kindle format for US and UK.

What is meningitis?
Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is caused when germs infect the fluid which circulates around the brain and spinal cord. Septicaemia is the blood poisoning form of the disease, which can cause shock, multiple organ failure and tissue destruction.

Meningitis and septicaemia can affect anyone. However, the majority of cases occur in children under five years with those under one year most at risk1,2.

What is World Meningitis Day?
Wednesday 24 April 2013 will mark the fifth anniversary of World Meningitis Day (WMD), a day dedicated to raising awareness of meningitis and supporting those who have been touched by the disease.

Why get involved?
- Bacterial meningitis and septicaemia kill more children under five than any other infectious disease in the UK , with babies most at risk .
- The leading cause of bacterial meningitis is meningococcal disease .
- Children aren’t protected against all forms of meningitis and parents should therefore remain vigilant for the signs and symptoms of meningitis.
- “One of the biggest myths is that children are protected against all types of meningitis through vaccination and this is, in reality, not the case”, says Dr Nelly Ninis, Consultant Paediatrician at St Mary’s Hospital London and supporter of the Meningitis: Keep Watching campaign. “Children are only protected against some types of meningitis so parents must be aware of the signs and seek urgent medical help as this disease can maim or kill within hours.”
- Anyone can catch bacterial meningitis at any time. As many as one in ten of those infected will die and up to one in five survivors will be left with after-effects including brain damage, amputations and hearing loss which may require ongoing care .

For these reasons alone it is vital that information about the very real threat of meningitis is spread to other parents.

How can you get involved?
1. ‘Meningitis: Keep Watching’ is a campaign spearheaded by Meningitis Research Foundation, Meningitis Trust and Meningitis UK with support from Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited, encouraging parents to remain vigilant for the signs and symptoms of the disease.
2. Go to the ‘Meningitis: Keep Watching’ Facebook page at www.facebook.com/meningitiskeepwatching and Like / Share the page and the tab applications including our new Pledge to Protect quiz.
3. Share the posts and case studies from the Facebook wall or get in touch to speak to someone who has experienced this disease.
4. Visit the YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/meningitiskeepwatch where you can watch our short film and embed it into your blog for others to watch.
5. Help us to share the campaign as widely as possible using the hashtag #meningitiskeepwatching
6. Champion the work of meningitis charities in the UK, who are dedicated to supporting families affected by the disease. For further information on meningitis as well as a number of educational resources, please visit the charities’ websites:
http://www.meningitis.org/
http://www.meningitisuk.org/
http://www.meningitis-trust.org/

Further information
Symptoms of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia
Sudden and aggressive, meningitis and septicaemia can kill within 24 hours of symptom onset4. Symptoms can often resemble the flu, making it easily misdiagnosed in its early stages, even for experienced healthcare professionals .

Symptoms may appear in any order and some may not appear at all. They may include some or all of the following :

• Fever
• Vomiting
• Severe headache
• Painfully stiff neck
• Sensitivity to light
• Very sleepy
• Confusion
• Seizures
• Non blanching rash (doesn’t disappear under pressure)

Key facts
Bacterial meningitis and septicaemia
• can kill in less than 24 hours, even with treatment4
• kills up to one in ten of those infected4
• leaves up to one in five of survivors with after effects including long term disabilities, such as brain damage, amputations and hearing loss5
• is the leading cause of death from infectious disease in children under five in the UK1, with babies most at risk2

Children are currently not protected against all types of meningitis, so it’s important that parents Keep Watching for the signs and symptoms.

Downloadable resources
Meningitis Research Foundation, Meningitis Trust and Meningitis UK have a number of resources available for parents to download, including handy symptom checkers. These can be found here:
http://www.meningitis.org/news-media/download-resources
http://www.meningitis-trust.org/meningitis-info/signs-and-symptoms/babies-and-toddlers/
http://www.meningitisuk.org/meningitis/advice/awareness-resources

References:
1 Office for National Statistics. Mortality statistics: Deaths registered in 2010 (Series DR) Office for National Statistics. Mortality statistics: Deaths registered in 2010 (Series DR) Table 5.1 Available at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/mortality-statistics--deaths-registered-in-england-and-wales--series-dr-/2010/dr-tables-2010.xls Accessed April 2013.
Health Protection Agency. Epidemiological data webpage. Available at: www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/MeningococcalDisease/EpidemiologicalData/ Accessed April 2013.
Meningitis Research Foundation. UK Facts and Figures (webpage). Available at: www.meningitis.org/facts Accessed April 2013.
World Health Organization. Meningococcal meningitis. Fact sheet #141. November 2012 update. Available at: www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs141/en/ Accessed April 2013.
Rosenstein NE, et al. Meningococcal disease. N Engl J Med 2001;344:1378-88;
Meningitis UK. Bacterial meningitis. Available at: http://bitly.com/RDEqhF Accessed April 2013.
Meningitis Research Foundation. Meningitis symptoms. Available at: www.meningitis.org/symptoms Accessed Apr 2013.

I saw something today which piqued my interest, The Mumdex report from ASDA. The reason I was looking on the site was because my husband damaged his leg at football, meaning he has to be off work and I wanted to check my illness policy - we have life insurance and critical illness cover, and this scare made me want to add injury and illness cover too, but it turned out far too expensive - go figure.

The Mumdex report is about how mums and indeed families are not just cancelling or downsizing their holidays, but are in fact struggle to fill up the car and pay for food.

This really struck a chord with me, as we struggle a lot with our bills and have to be really careful to make ends meet, even cancelling our family holiday and using the money instead on bills.

Being a one and a bit wage family is a tight thing some weeks, we don't claim benefits and I work from home to save on childcare costs, but sometimes I despair, especially since I am still at university training for my chosen day job and writing on the side.

The majority of mums in this report said that they struggled with energy bills, fuel costs, childcare and rising food prices, and I have to agree.

Anyone out there got any tips on saving cash and making ends meet? Feel free to get in touch, would genuinely love to hear from any families out there and let me know what you think of the report. Interesting reading I think. Now, time to submit those pre summer meter readings :-(