The Bang Goes the Theory team are conducting the biggest brain training experiment ever undertaken. They want to discover can you really improve your brain function by carrying out a series of simple exercises 3 times a week.
If you are over 18 and can spare 10 minutes, 3 times a week for 6 week, why not try it out. I’m looking forward to seeing the results.
Techfest is September is an annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Festival held in Aberdeen. We’ve been a couple of times and always really enjoy it.
From 11-28th September they are hosting a fantastic range of topics. There are Family Shows, Evening Lectures and a Family Activity Weekend. The programme can be downloaded here but here’s a wee taster of what’s on:
Family Shows
Dr Bunhead You Tube’s True or False (we saw this at the Edinburgh Science Festival – it was excellent!)
Visualise Reloaded: Live Science and Mischievous Theatre (with techno clowns?)
Evening Lectures
Mathematics and Sex – discover how dating services work, and why there are only two sexes?
Murder, Mystery and Microscopes – see behind the scenes and separate crime from fiction…
Family Activity Weekend
Here the kids can explore the physics of the circus, make their own lighthouse or hold a rock from the moon and many, many more….
As a Mum who works from home, I often find my working hours while the children are at school just zoom in. As the hours of 2.30pm till 8.00pm are taking up with family activities I spend most evenings on my laptop until the wee small hours.
I was therefore very interested to review Tanith Carey’s new book, “How to be an “Amazing Mum”, When You Just Don’t Have the time”. I was hoping to find some nuggets of advice that might just help me eek a few more minutes out of the day.
The book is broken down into easy to read chapters covering many aspects of living with children. I found the style of the writing, informative but witty and you really felt the tips were useable and written by someone who’d – been there, done that! Also, being a small, portable size, the book is easy to squeeze into your bag to dip into during those snatched minutes of the day.
There are some top tips in here and I’ll definitely be trying the vegetable oil on school shoe scuffs and I think drawing up some “House Rules” with the girls could be really beneficial.
Some parts made me laugh out loud, “Don’t let your child become a Blackberry Orphan” and “Beware of Smug Mummies” I found particularly funny.
Other parts of the book weren’t that relevant to me as my girls are that bit older now, but I did still find the tips in sections geared towards younger children very well thought out. I remember well the time involved in trying to leave the house with two children under three! In fact I’m going to pass on my copy of the book to my younger sister who had her first baby 6 weeks ago, I’m sure she’ll enjoy the tips too when he’s old enough to start messing up the house!
Shoe shopping in our household is a tad tricky; my eldest daughter is just ridiculously fussy and turns delightful girly shopping into such an ordeal I’m tempted to send her to school in wellies. My youngest daughter although much more amenable has strangely wide feet and often there isn’t a single pair of shoes in the local Clarks to fit her.
So when Umi asked if I’d like to review their Autumn collection, I was delighted to say yes and postpone the need to shoe shop for another few months!
The girls were super excited to receive their goodies in the mail and wanted to write their own review, so over to you girls! (Mums thoughts in italics).
I think they are going to be too narrow (before trying them on)
They are cooler than the web picture (after closer inspection)
I like the laces and the flowers pretty cool (progress…they are on the feet now)
Can I wear them to school tomorrow? (that’ll be a winner then!)
So very well received by the girls. I too am delighted with the quality and fit of the shoes. The styles are that bit different too.
Umi are branching out into the UK market and are hoping to have a UK stockists link on their website shortly. In the meantime, here is a small selection of the UK stockists: Trotters Stores in London, Little Piggys in Ireland, Maddie and Mark in Edinburgh.
If you fancy winning a pair of Umi children’s shoes, click on their Facebook page, where they run a monthly competition. Good luck!
Blogging about our love of science, working from home & the experiment of parenthood!
