Bathroom mould

Summer half term... A glorious time!
We were away for quite a long time. I always have a house sitter when away.
This time I got back to this! If you could see me, you would have seen my head hair stand up from the horror (just like in silly movies)
But afraid not! Bleach to the rescue!
I buy the cheapest stuff for bleach, no fancy Domestos.
Instructions:
1) Pour bleach on the mouldy areas.
2) Leave for about 10 minute.
3) Check if it is cleared after #2. (you can leave overnight, just be sure you have good ventilation in place).
4) Scrub a little with an old toothbrush if needed.
And voila, it's all gone! :)

Best cough remedy EVER

                         I have been using this recipe for just about 4 years now without fail. Recently quite a few people asked me for a recipe, so I have decided to write a post about it.
            It's all started when my daughter was about 2.5 yo. Since she was just a few months old she was coughing, constantly. Chest infections every two to three weeks. Once, when she was only 4 months she spent a whole 8 days on oxygen at a local hospital and was discharged with bronchiolitis.
Two days after discharge the cough was back. She was prescribed antibiotics, she's good for a week and then the cough was back. This pattern was repeating itself until she was two, after we've changed another GP we were finally referred to a Paediatrics.  At that time, age two, she was wearing clothes for a 9 months old baby. 
             After a few months with paediatrition, prescribed inhalers which were getting stronger and stronger, all the tests not giving any answers, receiving new inhaler-the strongest one, I called home. Back in my country, home remedies are a big thing still. Got recipes, picked one, made few adjustments and started to use next day after our usual every two-week hospital appointment.
  In these two weeks my daughter gained 500 gr in weight(for a previous whole year her weight gain was just 200gr). Her lungs were absolutely clear first time since she was born.
  The doc was shocked! "Did the inhaler worked?" She asked in disbelief. And I told her: "I haven't even opened it". All I did was the home made recipe with onions and honey.
   Since then, her health improved dramatically. She hasn't had a chest infection in 3.5 years. Once she starts sniffling and coughing, the concoction is ready to be used. The whole family is using it. Even my mother in law who loves her pharmaceuticals, started to use it :)
Another good thing that came out of it, my kids LOVE onions now!
BTW, the cause of her chest infections was aspirational. Some of food and drink were getting into her lungs. Drinks still do get in her lungs occasionally, but with first signs of cough, the remedy is ready and cough is going away in a couple of days with out turning nasty.

   So here is the recipe all amounts are approximate.
You will need:
#Onions . I like to use organic, and mix red and brown.
#Honey . The only two honey that really worked in worst cases are:

Comvita Manuka honey 20+ or 

Lifeplan Rainforest Active 30+ Honey 227g Our favourite! 

For general prophylactic usage I use any raw honey, just pick your favourite.

Method:

Get your onions peeled and thinly sliced. I use 2 to 3 bulbs, depending on their size.
Once sliced there are two things to choose to do with them.
      1) If I use to treat already bad cold/cough, and use one of the expensive honeys, then I put sliced onions in a bowl and sprinkle some unrefined sugar all over it. Leave it for at least two hours, preferably overnight. In the morning squeeze the juice out, just use your hands or put in a sieve and press with a spoon or something. The juice you get mix with honey. My proportion is roughly 1:1. If I have two spoons of juice, then I'll add two spoons of honey. For a child starting at the age of two, I was giving 5ml on empty stomach first thing in the morning. Then another 5 ml every hour for the first 2-3 days. After that, 3-4 times a day. Maximum one week. I'll do a new batch every day or two. Depending on how juicy onions are.
   2) When I use for prophylactic, during autumn, winter and spring, to keep the bugs away I do it differently. I put sliced onions in a jar and pour any raw honey over the onions, in layers. I do not use sugar! If honey is to thick, I warm it up in a warm oven, or put a jar of honey in a bowl of hot water, and wait until it gets all runny. Then it's easy to pour. Leave it to stand. Once you have a juice, give straight from the jar. 5-10 ml 2-3 times a day. I give on quite random days.

Often I catch my kids trying to sneakily to drink all whats in the jar. Or they pretend to have a cough and ask me to make the juice :) 

Hopefully, if you decide to try it, it will work wanders for you, just like it does for us.
Love, Peace and stay healthy,
Jev

It is not recommended to give honey to children under the age of one, in some countries even two. So do be careful. Honey in younger infants can cause botulism. Also, it can cause allergy in any age.

Bad cough? Tickley throat? Try this!

I've used this recipe for a couple of years now. For myself and my kiddies.
Like tonight. When it was bedtime, my 8 year old started to cough. For the first 30 minutes or so -wet cough. Then it turned into dry for another half an hour. My kid just couldn't fall asleep. She had a spoon of honey in between, no change.
Then I have managed to persuade her to drink my favourite tincture for a bad throat and coughs - Golden Milk.
I warm up milk( do not bring to boil), put in a cup a tsp of raw honey, half a tsp of Turmeric(ground spice) and pour milk over it. Mix well and enjoy your warm tasty drink.
My kid drank her cup and was asleep in under two minutes 
http://instagram.com/p/lrWiVIF76i/

Дезодорант для детей, чем пользоваться?

Моей дочке исполнилось 8 лет и в один прекрасный день я заметила очень сильный запах пота. Половое созревание началось... На многих интернет форумах советуют учить детей пользоваться  дезодорантами. Но, в последнее время было столько научных исследований о вреде этих самых дезодорантов, что я сама уже перестала ими пользоваться уже несколько лет. Только в редких случаях типа важных встреч или вечеринок.

О вреде дезодорантов можете почитать Здесь

Я сама пользуюсь уже много лет кристал камнем и дала дочке попробовать. Вечером душ, по мокрой коже проводите камнем несколько раз и даете высохнуть самой, не вытирать полотенцем. И утром дочка проснулась без запаха, вечером пришла домой после дня в школе и тренировки Джиу Джитсу- мокрая насквозь, но без запаха! С тех пор и напоминать не надо, пользуется с большим ажиотажем. 
Буду пробовать разводить с водой и ступни обрабатывать, а то ноги даже в кожаной обуви потеют сильно и начинают вонять. 

Кристалл Свежести (алунит) – 100% натуральный продукт горно-вулканического происхождения. Это забытое вещество успешно применялось нашими бабушками, и было известно как «квасцы» алюмо-калиевые. Химическая формула продукта - Potassium Alum - KAl(SO4)2Ч 12H2O - 12-водный!!!
Кристалл берется из природной среды в натуральном виде, вмешательство человека лишь в отсечении лишнего, шлифовке и упаковке. Кристалл очень экономичен: одной упаковки весом 120 грамм одному человеку при ежедневном пользовании хватает на 2 – 2.5 года, средний расход – 2–3 грамма в месяц. «Кристалл» по мере пользования уменьшается в размерах, но сохраняет свою эффективность вплоть до полного своего исчезновения. Если Вы уронили Кристалл и он разбился –соберите осколки, растворите в воде и пользуйтесь жидким вариантом Кристалла.
Кристалл не имеет срока годности. Кристалл легок и компактен, незаменим в поездках и путешествиях.
Кристалл так же помогает бороться с проблемами кожи у подростков, мужчины могут пользоваться им после бритья, предупреждая раздражение, он обладает кровоостанавливающим эффектом и способствует заживлению порезов, помогает бороться с герпесом и молочницей, раствором «Кристалла» можно полоскать горло при ангине и рот при парадонтозе, он устраняет аллергический зуд, зуд и отечность после укусов комаров и мошек, уничтожает запахи лука, чеснока, рыбы, отбеливателя с Ваших рук.
• Абсолютно безвреден для организма, так как в отличие от многих современных дезодорантов не содержит хлоргидрат алюминия, и прочие вредные химические субстанции. • В нем отсутствуют эмульгаторы, закупоривающие поры и потовые протоки, нарушающие функцию потовых желез. • Не содержит спирта, не вызывает раздражения или аллергии. • Не имеет собственного запаха и не содержит отдушек, которые конкурировали бы с Вашим парфюмом. • В его состав не входят масла, оставляющие пятна на одежде. • Единственный безвредный дезодорант, разрешенный к применению беременным и кормящим женщинам

Камень купила года три назад и думаю еще на столько же  хватит. Отличное вложение!
Я покупала на Амазоне, по линку доставка по Британии бесплатно.

What’s Normal After Birth

What’s Normal After Birth

Birth to 6-8 Weeks After Delivery

You’re tired and generally not feeling like your old self yet.
Stitches and tissue damage/tears may feel tender.
Your post birth bleeding should have ceased.
You may be a little fearful of or cautious when performing bowel movements.
You may have difficulty straightening up/standing tall especially if you birthed via C-Section.
Your C-Section scar is still healing and may be tender. You will have to modify getting up and down from the sitting and lying down positions.
Your pelvis might be feeling very unstable and loose or conversely you might feel a general tightness in your pelvic region.
Your abdominal may feel loose and unsupported.
Your muscle may be tight and achy especially around your hips, shoulders neck and backs of your thighs.
You may have some degree incontinence – urinary, gas or fecal.
You may have difficulty mentally connecting to your Pelvic Floor muscles.
You might be experiencing some neck, bicep and shoulder pain and general tightness in your upper body due to the demands of breastfeeding

Your best actions: REST AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, no lifting anything heavier than your baby, begin gentle stretching, get a specialist Post Natal massage and nourish your depleted body through OPTIMUM NUTRITION, homecooked good food! Ultimately , start reconnecting gently to your body especially your Pelvic Floor gently but also let Mother Nature Do Her Job too!

8+ Weeks Post Delivery

Your Post Natal bleeding should have stopped or the flow reduced considerably and the colour of your discharge become very light. If this isn't the case, please seek advice from your Health Care Professional.
You should be generally pain free but your C-Section scar might be tender or be painful if you over exert yourself. The area around the scar might also be numb.
Your bowel movements should be easier and have returned to a normal rhythm, if not take a few teaspoons of Linseeds soaked in hot water before bed to help re-establish a good rhythm.
Your pelvis may still be feeling very unstable and loose or conversely you might feel a general tightness in your pelvic region.
You may still be experiencing some degree of incontinence – urinary, gas and possibly fecal.
You may still have difficulty connecting to your Pelvic Floor muscles.
If you are still feeling tired, check with your HCP whether you need to take an Iron Supplement.
Ensure you include a high quality Vitamin and Mineral Supplement in your diet and also supplement with Omega Fish Oils.
Apply the principles of high level Optimum Nutrition to replenish your Post Natal body after Pregnancy.
Keep well hydrated with water and fruit teas.
When given the go-ahead start exercising according to your level of recovery.
Include a regular stretching programme.
Take advantage of ANY opportunity to be still, quiet and rest.
Prioritise your self-care and the care of your baby, housework and the rest of life can wait until you get your energy and strength back.

Proud Mummy Moment :)

My little V is using a communication devise to speak. Or rather is learning to use it ;)

Today was very very very proud mummy moment. She can not speak. The only word she is able to say is 'Mama'. She can't speak due to oropharyngeal dysphagia as one of the symptoms of her undiagnosed neuromuscular disorder. Not being able to speak is a missing link in language development. It so much harder to learn/understand the concept of letter-sound. Reading-writing etc. She will be 6 next month, she is in year1 in school. 

Today as she was fiddling with her communication devise, she spelled a short sentence and to be honest I did not expect her to be able to spell any single word except 'mom' and 'dad'. But OH MY did she surprise me, she actually spelled a sentence! And then she signed what she wrote. Love her to bits!

Here is the video of her doing it :) 

Very tasty banana blueberry buckwheat bread/cake

Finally, I got together a recipe for a cake made with 100% buckwheat flour and no sugar. It is moist but soft and airy. Not a dense bric like most of its kind.
From my search on internet, all recipes I've found call for half amount (or less) of buckwheat flour and some sort of other gluten free variety. Or if it's all buckwheat, it is quite bitter, more savory or needs sugar added in quite a quantity.
This cake I fed to my fussy eaters as a main meal. You can easily pass it for one.
*EGGS.
Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods money can buy - they are a natural source of many nutrients including high quality protein, vitamins and mindeals.
Eggs are naturally rich in vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B12, vitamin D, selenium and iodine. They also contain vitamin A and a number of other B vitamins including folate, biotin, pantothenic acid and choline, and essential minerals and trace elements, including phosphorus.

*BLACK TREACLE
100gr of black treacle has 100% of your DVA of Iron. It is also high in calcium 50% of DVA, Magnesium and Potassium.

* BUCKWHEAT flour
1. Good source of high-quality, easily digestible proteins. This makes it an excellent meat substitute. High protein buckwheat flour is being studied for possible use in foods to reduce plasma cholesterol, body fat, and cholesterol gallstones.
2.  Fat alternative. Buckwheat starch can also act as a fat alternative in processed foods.
3. May help diabetes.
New evidence has found that buckwheat may be helpful in the management of diabetes according to Canadian researchers in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
With a glycemic index of 54, it lowers blood sugars more slowly than rice or wheat products.
4. Great for the digestion.
5.Buckwheat contains no gluten and is not a grain. It is therefore great for celiacs and those on grain free and gluten sensitive diets.
And many many more.
*FLAXSEED
Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.
*BANANA AND BLUEBERRY
If you don't know, just Google.
 
So here it comes:
5 over rippend bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup of Apple butter click for the recipe or use apple sauce.
1/2 cup of milk
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tbsp of Stevia
1 tbsp of Lyle's Black Treacle (or molasses)
Juice of one lime
2 cups of Buckwheat flour
2 tbsp of ground Flaxseed
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of baking soda
1to 2 cups of blueberries
1 tbsp of cinnamon IF using applesauce instead of Apple butter.

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350c or gas mark 6 (just a guide).
Mash bananas with a juice of one lime. Add bitten eggs, vanilla, apple butter, milk, treacle, stevia and beat all together for a couple of minutes. Then slowly add flour, flaxseed, salt, baking soda and powder, and cinnamon if using.
Once all beaten together, fold in blueberries.
Cake or loaf tin, grease with butter or put in baking paper to prevent sticking. Pour the mixture in and put in an oven for 45-50 minutes, check with a toothpick or knife if it's ready. You know when you stab it, the cake, nothing should be stuck to the toothpick.
I did sprinkle it with icing sugar this time for kids :)
Enjoy! And please come back to tell me if you liked it :)

Unsweetened Apple Butter YUM!

First, a bit of a story :) Last summer, when I went to Las Vegas, a friend took me for a road trip with camping to El Dorado County Wine region. We camped with Adventure Connection in Coloma, California. They provided two great days of wine-tasting and rafting!On the first morning we got together, talked about our day and departed for the El Dorado County Wine region. We visited 2-3 wineries and then stopped to enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch. 

After lunch we visited another 2-3 wineries and Jack Russell Farm Brewery, where I have been taught a super funny game (especially after all the wine and beer tasting and with really great company;) called Cornhole. 

Playing cornhole game

Jack Russell Brewery  

At the end of the day we headed back to camp for a delicious Barbecue dinner. We have returned to camp with time to enjoy the peace of the river over dinner.

Not dinner but breakfast, still the same beautiful view :)

The next day, after a delicious breakfast, we shuttled to the top of the river for exciting rapids, which included Meatgrinder, Triple Threat and the infamous Troublemaker. I have even summoned the courage to get out of the boat and swim through one of the rapids! Our trip concluded with a big barbecue lunch back at camp.

So, during that first day, one of the wine tasting stops was at the little market like shop called Apple Barn located alongside Carson Road. There were two kinds of wine I have fallen in love with. They tasted so gorgeous! One was Kandi Apple and the other was Apple-Blackberry. I have also spotted an Apple butter amongst huge variety of jars. I have heard about apple butter form movies, internet and so on but have never tasted one. So out of curiosity I bought a jar of unsweetened apple butter and brought it home to London. We LOVED IT! My older daughter finished it in one day... and was asking for more and it is not widely available here in UK... And thats how I decided to attempt to make it myself. I have searched on line for recipes, bought apples, found the over ripened dessert variety on clearance so they cost me almost nothing. And voilà! My kid can't have enough, I make a few jars at a time but they don't last long. Eaten up very quickly :))

So here is what I do: 

I do not have exact measures, never do. Always to taste. Each time you make apple butter, it will taste a bit different depending on the apples you use. The sweeter apples are, sweeter your butter will be.  

 Best buy your apples on farmer markets, where you can taste the apples before you buy. If the apples are bland so will be your butter. 

25-30 apples (depends on how concentrated you want it to be and how long you cook, it makes up to 8 pints of butter).

I start with 1tsp of:

Cinnamon(can use sticks), Ground ginger, Ground Cloves, Ground Cardamom, All spice, Vanilla (in any form you like).

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar as a preservative.
Core and slice apples and put them in the pan as you go. I love using my Ikea apple slicer . It cuts the prep time in more then half.
When it's full put on  low for about 2 hours (as they cook down add the rest of the apples if all didn't fit in in the beginning), stirring occasionally. After 2-3 hours, when apples are soft, I add spices and vinegar. As you see from the pic, I add at least 1 tbsp. of cinnamon, it's great metabolism booster(if you're dieting ;).

OMG The smell in the house is amazing! Who needs air fresheners? After I add spices and vinegar, I cook for another 2-3 hours, until the apple's skins are absolutely soft, and juice is reduced. Again, the time depends on apples, how juicy are they. Just stir and use your judgement. (some recipes call for 10 to 24 hours for cooking!) When you think they are about ready, I use hand blender to blend. I put the arm of the blender straight into the pan and blitz until smooth, just don't forget to take vanilla and cinnamon sticks OUT! Taste and add more spices I think it needs, maybe more cinnamon and cloves. If apples were too sour, and the butter tastes too zingy, I sweeten it with apple and pear spread(highly concentrated no sugar added). That's the one I use. 

But once it is blended, be very careful, it gets stuck to the bottom very very easy. So finish cooking to the consistency you like and don't forget to stir. Once it cools down, it gets thicker. Put in jars. For long shelf period use waterbath canning or similar.
We eat it with bread, crackers, smother cakes with it, use it instead of Apple sauce in baking recipes... By dressing up a jar, it can serve as a very yummy and pretty present.
Enjoy and tell me how it went :) If you liked it or not, if you tweaked the recipe to improve :)

Valentine frames and borders craft sale

Hi crafters!
I have a few vintage high quality images for photocopying and scanning, reduce or enlarge them to suit your needs. Digital form enables you to use them for any computer project over and over again. Perfect for paper crafting, cards, decoupage, collage,wood transfers, scrap-booking, and fabric transfers.

Valentine1

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How to tell a child how babies are made

  One of my friend's preschool daughter started a conversation about where did she come from.
  It is very interesting question, and  perhaps the expression “talking about the birds and the bees”  represents the most common version of our attempts to do this with some degree of biological accuracy. The jokes and devious explanations used by some parents also acknowledge our discomfort in dealing with the subject.
  I will share my experience.
  Lets start with, my oldest was present at the birth of her sister, she was 22 months old at the time. She was in control of where she wanted to be, what she wanted to see and so on. At one point she took my mom by her hand and went to another room to play and came back when the baby was out.
  At around 4-5 years old she started asking question about how did she got there, inside the tummy. As I am a fan of natural home births, she knew about how the baby grows inside mommy, how it comes out. You can find very beautiful videos on Youtube. And she liked to watch them with me. 

    So when it came to finding an answer of HOW did they got INSIDE,  was the difficult part.
    I have found very good article, that I liked on Babycenter. It says:...Ask, then tell.Make sure you understand what your child is really asking. Linda Eyre, co-author of How to Talk With Your Child About Sex, tells a story about a boy who asked his mother where he came from. Thinking he wanted to know about the facts of life, she sat down with him and told him everything. Then the boy told her that he was just wondering where they lived before they moved into their new house.
To avoid a misunderstanding, respond to your child's questions by asking: "What do you think?" Many young children spin elaborate fantasies about how babies are created. First get a handle on what your child is thinking. Then you can use that as a launching point for a more helpful discussion.
"How does a baby get in there?" A sweet and simple explanation should satisfy most young children. You can say something as simple as, "The daddy gave love to the mommy and together they made a baby." Or "Babies are made when two adults love each other so much that they're able to create a baby inside the mommy."
If your child wants more detail, you can tell her that a sperm from the daddy joins an egg from the mommy and together they grow into a baby....
 I will also add, that in some cases it might be OK to say more, for example: an honest one that doesn't try to offer a college course in human reproduction in one session. Tell the child that, in a sheltered place inside their bodies, mothers carry a large number of tiny eggs (without shells) and that these eggs drop down into a space in their bodies called a womb or uterus about once a month. Those eggs can’t become babies until the father puts into one a special substance called sperm that comes out of his penis. When this happens, we say that this special egg is fertilized. It attaches itself to the mother’s womb and grows there for about 9 months.

Some children will get bored with these answers and will leave you alone. But ofcourse there could be children who are more inquisitive and will create more questions. In that case, GOOGLE to the rescue :DDDD
You can read more questions and answers, advice on haw to  here at Babycenter. com  Please share your experience, what would you say in comments below. I'm sure there are plenty of funny stories out there! :)  The old story about the little boy who asked his father where he came from, got a long lecture on reproduction and sex, then said, “Thanks, Dad. But Jim said he came from Buffalo and I just wanted to know where I came from.” 

Photo story of Victoria's DDH correction surgery

Victoria had a surgery to correct Bilateral #DDH on December 10, 2013. Her journey from day one and first 4 weeks post surgery. https://share.htc.com/mvb75Vx5A

Home made playdough

          My kids love playdough. And I have been making my own for so many years... It all started when they were little and used to put and chew things, any things... And one day at my daughters nursery I found out that they use their own made playdough. The nursery does not buy any, just cook one in the kitchen :) How cool is that! I thought. So I went on line and found so many recipes, its hard to choose from. You can add glitter, aromatic/essential oils for sense of smell, glow in a dark paint, tiny beads or coloured sugars for texture...Store it in airtight container or plastic bag with seal zip and it will last for weeks. And here are the links to our favourite ones:
Here is the video with great instructions and easy to follow

Here are some great ideas  http://nurturestore.co.uk/fall-play-dough-recipe

Here is a cool idea http://www.playathomemomllc.com/2011/09/glow-dough/

Leave a comment with your favourite recipe :)

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And the winner is...

Hi to all!

 Thank you all for participating in the Phatstak Giveaway! 

          If you did not win, but want to get the Phatstak still, you can purchase one with 10% discount with 'Buy it now' option HERE. Just mention the code ''tigramum-randommama'' in notes when purchasing or message to Phatstak. 
          The winner was picked randomly by the Rafflecopter widget. The winner will be contacted with the details on how to claim the prize. 

Finally the Date for The Big Day is set

Last week Monday, Victoria had a pre-assessment appointment for her hips surgery at GOSH. We have a date for the surgery-10th of December!
We were greeted by an orthopaedic nurse who gave us a tour of the ward where Vika will be recovering post surgery, showed all the facilities available for parents. Fold-out chair next to the child's bed for a parent to sleep on and the kitchen for parents(parent/s are staying with a child for the whole recovery time,living in a hospital). Told us that close family can visit any time of day or night, friends and rest of the family can visit up to about 8pm, although its just a guide time, not set in stone.
Then we had an x-ray and saw one of the registrars, she said that now both hips are subluxed equally, as before one was less than the other. They will perform same surgery on both  hips, one at a time with 6 to 12 months gap between surgeries and spica cast for 6-8 months time.

 Than we were seen by Physiotherapist, Occupational therapist, other registrars, Play nurses and lots of waiting in between. Than at the end of the day the Consultant herself came, Miss Eastwood. With other 10 or so doctors. Me and Vika, surrounded by that many medical staff was quite intimidating. Thank God Vika's school physiotherapist was with us the whole time, she explained a lot of things I couldn't understand, had questions about and so on. I am very grateful to her for being there with us.
Anyhow, the consultant, miss Eastwood, who will perform the surgery, tells us that she will do surgery on both hips in one go, and NO spica cast after. I was like: WHAT? No Spica?
 Apparently, Vika will have some hardware on the joints and that will take away the need for the cast. Still don't know 100% how it will work. Can't find much info on it.
  Vika will have Bilateral proximal varus derotational osteotomies with plate and screws. The surgery will last for about 4 hours. A very long time for a child to be under general anaesthetic. You can check the video for reference. Its not the same but very close.It shows the femoral bone only, Victoria will have a pelvic bone done too.

 We will spend, if everything is good, max a week post op in the hospital. First days she will be on Morphine as a painkiller. And because we live on a first floor, and apparently, by law a woman can not lift more that 15 kg, which means I'm not allowed to carry Vika up/down the stairs. So until the OT at the hospital will be sure that Vika can slide up and down the stairs on her own bum, we will be staying at the hospital. They don't care that I lift up to 100kg bar in the gym.
 One
  Once we home after surgery, the hospital will lend us a wheelchair which we will have to use inside and outside the house. The physio will come over to work with Vika, and depending how she will recover, how soon she will get back on her feet. She will need a walking frame to start walking again. The doc is positive that Victoria will be able to go back to school after Christmas holidays. It's good that the school picks up Vika on a wheelchair accessible bus, and in the school Vika will have all the support needed to recover without missing on school. Did I mention that she is going to public mainstream school? It's amazing!

One thing that makes me sad is, I will miss my oldest performance show in her drama school which is 3 days after Vika's surgery.  :(

So for now, we are making the list of the things to take with us for stay in the hospital. And packing.
If you will be in a neighbourhood on December 11 till the end of the week, Vika will be glad to see some visitors to keep her spirits up, don't be a stranger ;)

   

I'm hosting a giveaway! Come over to WIN!

Read all the way to the end to enter a giveaway, for UK residence only!

CLOSED!!!

One of the most popular questions for mums is: What do I do with my kid's artwork? How to keep/store it?

Well, thats how I do it. Earlier this year, I stumbled upon a Phatstak on eBay. It looked very appealing and like a good idea to try. So I bought one.I loved it so much that I went back to the seller and arranged a giveaway for my readers! Keep reading :)
 When you buy it, you have a big choice of designs, if you buy as 'Buy it now', you can personalise by adding the names, dates or a special message on the cover. Also, they offer 3 different inner pages combinations. Just check Shakebaby's eBay shop to see the big choice of covers, click here!

That was my choice :

Back

Front cover

The choice of  for inner pages combinations are: 

1. 5 greyboard  pages with coloured elastic (see images below)

2. 10 Plain white card 285gsm

3. 6 pages of white card 285gsm with 2 pages of greyboard with coloured elastic

My choice on this occasion was 6 white pages +2 greyboard with elastic. 

First white page

It has 2 greyboard pages, which means we have 4 sides with elastic to use

Nursery Storage

Memorabilia

Student Projects

Family Tree

Phatstak is a storage album with large capacity sleeves for a wide variety of uses from nursery keepsakes, student projects, albums or the travellers memorabilia folder. It uses elastic cord on every page to keep things in place, so you can add as much or as little as you like and the large plastic coil binder allows the pages to be opened fully.

It has 5 inner pages of 1250 micron grey card with coloured elastic so you can easily stack lots of items on one page. I have used one for an entire year of nursery painting and craft items. It's really good for things you want to take out & look at and to add to. 

Keeping your childrens drawings, collages and creative learning items together can be a bit of a chore, as there seems to be so much in the early years to keep in just one place. Phatstak can fit the entire year in one book for you to look at, at your leisure, it’s A3 size means you don't have to compromise any items, everything is safe and sound and it’s size fits easily on most book shelves.

Whatever you're studying phatstak can be the most practical way to present course work or projects, as the design relies on stacking up the information within, the reader has to interact with the information and therefore your work will be memorable.

Other uses for for phatstak include traveller, music fanatic, recipe collections, letters poems in fact phatstak is unique to its creator's particular interests. Phatstaks is the affordable keepsake storage solution.

We are still collecting the best and most precious bits and pieces of artwork and memos, so not arranged yet.  I have a few boxes of artwork to go through. The girls are very excited to get their hands on it, constantly changing their minds on how they are going to arrange the things inside, that is another reason why its still not done :)  I am going to order another one but with elastic only, it is very handy for these dozens of drawings.

 But One of you have a chance to get the Phatstak of your choice for free!Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!

For those who does not want to enter and/or wait for the end, you can get 10% discount on 'BUY IT NOW' personalised option, just mention the code:''tigramum-randommama'' in Notes or message it at Phatstack

Use the rafflecopter widget to enter, but first get familiar with giveaway terms and conditions :)

1. Eligibility. Giveaways are open to readers with UK shipping addresses only.

2. Technical Problems. The giveaway may be canceled, suspended and/or modified, in whole or in part, if in the opinion of Random Mama Blog any fraud, technical failure or other factor beyond its control impairs the integrity of the giveaway.

3. Winner Notification. You will be notified within three (3) days after the Entry Deadline Date if you win the prize.

4. Claiming Your Prize. Winner must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.
5. Prize Substitution. Winner may not substitute the prize for any other prize or for cash, however, Random Mama or the sponsoring company may substitute the prize for any other prize of equal or greater value, in its reasonable discretion, in the event the prize is not available for any reason outside of sponsor’s reasonable control.
6. General Release. By entering the giveaway through this website, you release Random Mama from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the giveaway or delivery, misdelivery or acceptance of any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses and damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light, whether intentional or unintentional), whether under a theory of contract, tort (including negligence), warranty or other theory.

Good Luck! 

ENTER HERE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hours of fun!

We all trying to find ways for our kids to entertain themselves while we are doing our chores, working or just need some time quite. I have stumbled upon a winner! Had to try immediately.
Pour baking soda on a tray, the thicker the layer the better. Add food coloring into a few pots of vinegar and have a pipet, or in our case I hade a 1ml syringe. Let the kids drop coloured vinegar on to soda and see what happens. An hour of coloured fizzing fun. The more colours the better, they can be mixed in a pipet and you will get a rainbow! Unfortunately my food colouring is not good, not much tint to it. So note to myself - get good food coloring ;)