Christmas TV

I have to admit – I love Christmas tv. I look forward to watching all my old favourites – top of the list is Ben Hur. My Dad loved the Chariot scene and watched the film religiously every year! Other favourites include The Sound of Music, Singin’ in The Rain, any of the Indiana Jones franchise, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Wizard of Oz, and, of course, Casablanca! 

Check out today’s Mirror for a preview of tv on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day if, like me, you like to plan you viewing well in advance! There’s plenty of films to entertain the kids too: Ratatouille, Santa Claus the Movie, Cars, The Chronicles of Narnia, Happy Feet, Madagascar, Shrek the Third, Polar Express, The Grinch. Who am I kidding – I love all of those as well! Go Mumble!

New Vaccination

A new PCV vaccine, whih protects against 13 strains of bacterial infection, is being added to the childhood immunisation programme. It will be given to all babies from this week onwards, as they reach two months. In addition, babies who have already started their PCV schedule will be given a dose of the new vaccine at on-year-old. For more info check out the National Immunisation Office!

not so sure about the snow anymore…

It took me two and a half hours to get home last night! It was quite scarey on the M50 with cars skidding around the Dundrum on-ramp. Thank God for Granny Nannies (as per the Irish Independent yesterday)  though – my little girl was safe at home, getting fed a nice dinner by my mam!

Here are some tips I found about driving safely in icy conditions (best advice is not to drive at all if possible!):

Driving safely on icy roads

1. Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
2. Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
3. Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
4. Keep your lights and windshield clean.
5. Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills (but apparently it’s not great to stay in 1st, try to get to 2nd/ 3rd on hills – courtesy of George Hook).
6. Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
7. Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently travelled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
8. Don’t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

If your rear wheels skid…

1. Take your foot off the accelerator
2. Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they’re sliding right, steer right.
3. If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
4. If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
5. If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse — this is normal.

If your front wheels skid…

1. Take your foot off the gas  but don’t try to steer immediately. (American tips)
2. As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then release the clutch, and accelerate gently.

If you get stuck…

1. Do not spin your wheels. This will only dig you in deeper.
2. Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.
3. Use a light touch on the gas, to ease your car out.
4. Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.
5. Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.
6. Shift from forward to reverse, and back again. Each time you’re in gear, give a light touch on the gas until the vehicle gets going.

Take it easy and drive safely!

Dear Santa…

Radio Flyer Classic Red Dual Deck Trike

This is what Santa will be leaving under our Christmas Tree! Limited availability from Imaginarium (only one left in the Blanchardstown Centre!).

Unfit Irish Mammies?

Headline in the Irish DailyMail today: One is five mothers risks babies’ health by drinking or smoking.

Cutting to the chase, it seems that wine is the vice of those with the highest education and smoking is the vice of those with less formal education. Is this because it is still somewhat acceptable within certain circles to be seen “nursing” a glass of wine while pregnant, while it’s less so to be seen puffing away on a fag? Or do the findings reveal something about the importance of the role of wine in a woman’s life, so much so that it’s difficult to abstain during pregnancy?

Anyhow, the jury’s still out on the effects of alcohol on pregnancy, due to conflicting results of various studies, though alcohol can cause birth defects if consumption is high. The evidence seems to be more clear-cut on the dangers of smoking which has been linked to premature or low birthweight babies. (Sheila Greene, TCD)

Slimmer’s Dream?

Spotted an article about a fizzy drink, cranberry-flavoured Aspire (available from Holland & Barrett) that makes you thinner by combining caffeine and green tea with aminos acid and ginder to create a “thermogenic effect” (sounds slightly sci-fi to me). Apparently this thermogenic effect causes the body to generate more heat to digest food and temporarily stimulates the metabolism.

Too good to be true? Probably!

Christmas Bargains

BRIO Pull Along Toys

Almost forgot.

Spotted that Lidl will have some Brio toys on offer from €11.99 this Thursday!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

I was feeling very smug this weekend as I had gotten the thermal undies in for my little girl, along with some lovely fleece hats, on Thursday evening. So when she and her cousins hit the snow yesterday, she seemed to have the most staying power. Truth be told I think she would have stayed out in the garden all night if we had let her.

Picked up some nice themal vests in Penneys for €4 for 2 and some lovely fleece hats with ear protectors in Dunnes for €4 a pop!

Also made a visit to Clarkes and got some gorgeous little boots and they had a deal on whereby you got €5 off a pair of wellies when you bought a pair of shoes. Little word of warning, my little one has a high instep so couldn’t get her foot into most of the boots. So keep an eye out for ones that don’t have leather support too high up the heel!

 

Supernanny rules – not for Irish kids!

I’ve always been a big big fan of Supernanny, even before I had my daughter. In fact, I bet you would be hard stuck to find an adult below the age of forty that doesn’t know what the naughty step/ corner is!

Here are Jo’s steps to disciplining your child:

(1) Casually ask child to stop behaviour.

(2)  Give a warning in a firm voice.

(3)  Place on the Naughty Step for 1 minute per year of child’s age.

(4)  Explain why child is on the Naughty Step.  Make eye contact and get down to child’s level.

(5)  If child gets moved from the Naughty Step, place the child back in on the Naughty Step without speaking and reset the timer.

(6)  When time is up, explain to the child why he or she was on the Naughty Step.

(7)  Have child apologise.

(8)  Give child hugs and kisses.

Sounds great! It worked about twice for my little girl before she started going to the naughty corner of her own accord, even when not being naughty!

Any tips Jo?