London Mums Blog

Party like it's 19.99!

World weary sophisticates, please look away now…

Miniminx has lots of kids coming over for her birthday next Sunday. Things are different this year; with the job loss, credit crunch, and even Woolies gone to the dogs, I’ve put aside posh party planning in favour of a pot luck party on a shoestring budget of £19.99.

Armed with glue gun, scissors, a dusty old craft box and my laptop, I’m sure this will be an adventure in thrift like no other. Being the complete jam tart that I am, I’ve scoured the internet in search of party plagiarisms so you don’t have to…

A Foodie Saturday or Sunday: Take the Kids to a London Farmer’s Market

There is no better way to teach children the enjoyment of fresh fruit and vegetables than an inspired trip to a London Farmer’s Market; all of which feature a very high standard of quality.  

All the fruit, vegetables, meet, cheese, jams, juice and are locally grown or hand made by the farmers themselves.  The markets are not solely organic, but the food is fresh and local with some farmers selling organic crops. Though the harvest season is waning, there are still plenty of fresh, root vegetables to make into a comforting feast to keep the seasonal malaise of Daylight Savings Time at bay.

What makes the London Farmer’s Markets particularly well-suited for families, aside from their wholesome appeal, is their close proximity to fun things for our little ones to do.  If you bring a rucksack to carry your bounty from the market, you and the kids can not only enjoy healthy produce, you can go on to enjoy some near-by attractions.

Half term fun at the National Gallery

As you may know, the National Gallery does fab FREE children's events on Sundays. The good news is that they have scheduled some extras for the October half-term break. The best part is that you can book the half term events in advance.

WHAT: Magic Carpet storytelling

WHO: under-5s

WHEN: Tuesday 27 to Saturday 31 October 2009; 11.30am

COST: free!

WHAT: Light On The Water: Make an exciting panorama with boats floating on clear blue water under a dazzling sky. Join artist Harriet Mena Hill for layers of fun in this collage workshop.

And now let's hear from some credit crunched dads...

21st century sew on and sew forth

Weren’t the Noughties meant to be all about being naughty and a hedonistic wealth fueled follow on from the really naughty 90s?

So how come I caught myself looking in a charity shop window the other day?

I was drawn to a natty pair of high heeled hardly worn shoe boots on display, and then I did a double take as I caught my reflection in the rain streaked window.

There was I carrying a huge Argos bag with a new sewing machine so I can ‘make do and mend’.  I just feel transported back to another time and one small step away from buying Butterwick and Vogue dress patterns to make ‘new work suits’.

Snapshot

In an effort to keep myself occupied I’ve decided I’m going to really work this blog world. Personal blogging is hugely different from professional blogging and I am finding it a challenge to keep going. It’s more to do with ego keepy-uppy than anything else - how do you stay a) motivated while unemployed b) able to write dazzling copy c) not sound like a moaner?

The truth is, things are just not hot on the job front. I’m going to have to reinvent myself and learn some pretty new tricks in order to stand out from the crowd. The social media CV just ain’t working. Every recruiter I speak to says it’s hugely competitive out there and there are hundreds of candidates, when only a year ago there were few and far between. When I apply for jobs on corporate web sites, I feel like I’m aiming a pea shooter at the moon. My CV disappears into the ether, I get an acknowledgement and then nothing. Boo hoo.