I get asked a lot about sleeping tips. Here’s my advice: you are pretty much powerless when it comes to the whim of a newborn. I had a strict bedtime routine with my first daughter (bath, massage, story, milk, leave the room while still awake) and it worked for us, but this little peach is […]
Let me set the scene. I’m currently 34 weeks pregnant with my second child, and freaking out. I’m reading a book called The Second Baby Survival Guide – and it’s doing nothing to soothe my anxieties. Everyone keeps asking how I am, if our toddler is excited (she doesn’t have a clue what’s going on) […]
If your kids are big fans of junk food and you don’t know how to change their minds, then read on. A new app, website and social media account might be the unexpected answer to your problems. Founded by Dubai dwellers Mary-Kei (a food lover and illustrator) and Elisa (a businesswoman and mum), […]
There’s no denying it; eating out as a family is expensive, but if you know where to go (and what to order) you could save some cash. Also note that I’m not afraid to take leftovers home! Here are a few of my favourites if you’re on a budget, but still want to […]
When I had Phoebe two years ago, WaterWipes were a mythical product here in the UAE; friend of friends had them brought over from the UK, a new cult classic that I’d read about online. Meanwhile, I was messing around with cooled boiled water and yards of cotton wool to wipe my baby’s bottom, […]
Can we agree that whoever designed baby clothes with buttons up the back needs a bullet? And by the same token, the man/woman/angel responsible for adding zips to sleepsuits deserves a medal and a hearty hug from parents everywhere? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t *hate* poppers (I do hate buttons though), but even […]
Recently, before a prenatal pilates class, I got chatting to one of the other mums-to-be. ”How many weeks are you?” I asked, because, well, it’s the easiest starting point. “I’m 25” she replied. And without thinking I exclaimed “Oh wow! Your bump is so neat!”, which then haunted me through the next hour as we […]
As mums, we’re meant to support each other. We’re supposed to have this all-inclusive ‘Hey! We’re all doing our best!’ mentality, whether we’re working or staying at home, breast or formula feeding, co-sleeping or joyfully putting them in their own rooms, baby-led weaning or pureeing, baby wearing or stroller loving. While there are definitely tribes […]
As a journalist I’m used to asking the questions, being the one who knows where an interview is going, so being a guest on Nicholla Henderson-Hall’s podcast, The Learning Curve, was a refreshing change, if a bit scary! Nicholla’s series of podcasts focus on female entrepreneurs across the Middle East, with her 104 (and […]
While I fear babymoons (definition: the short break an expectant couple takes before the birth of a child, who will later rob them of lie-ins and dinners after 7pm) are something of a new-fangled fad, there’s no denying the appeal. With my first pregnancy we combined honeymoon and babymoon (long story, but […]