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Ghostwritermummy and bump

Susanne Remic is a primary school teacher, freelance writer and parenting blogger. She writes at Ghostwritermummy and Maternity Matters and in between all of that she regularly wins mummy of the year awards for running around after her two children, aged six and 19 months. This is her pregnancy blog: an online diary of her third pregnancy as she strives to overcome two difficult births, one angel child and one awkward toddler. Join Susanne as she shares every step of her journey from bump to baby!

 

14 weeks old

By Susanne Remic on 25 May 2012 No comments a baby's eye

I don’t know where the time went; the hours just flew away. I looked, and you had grown in so many ways. You smiled. You laughed. You almost rolled over.

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The Daily Bite

Our straight talking Lancashire lass takes a sideways look at the daily news.

Too fat to live?

By Sian Claire Owen on 25 May 2012 No comments Too fat to live?

This morning a sorry tale of a very ill young woman was splashed on the front page of the tabloids.

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Cannes 2012: glitz, glamour and glitterati

The 65th annual Cannes International Film Festival attracted celebrities and press from around the world and, in true French Riviera style, saw renowned actors and actresses drench themselves in su

Ghostwritermummy and bump

Susanne Remic is a primary school teacher, freelance writer and parenting blogger. She writes at Ghostwritermummy and Maternity Matters and in between all of that she regularly wins mummy of the year awards for running around after her two children, aged six and 19 months. This is her pregnancy blog: an online diary of her third pregnancy as she strives to overcome two difficult births, one angel child and one awkward toddler. Join Susanne as she shares every step of her journey from bump to baby!

 

To work or not to work?

By Susanne Remic on 25 May 2012 1 comment

I’ve worked in one way or another since I was about ten years old. I started with babysitting, paper rounds and washing up. I moved on to waitressing, bar work and office work.

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Week in pictures

From the red carpet in Cannes to the igniting of the Olympic torch, it's this week's most interesting stories in pictorial form. By Sian Claire Owen

5 common credit card pitfalls and how to avoid them

Credit cards allow you to spread the cost of purchases, as well as offering rewards for spending and increased protection against fraud.

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    Avoid paying interest 

    Some two thirds of the credit cards held today by UK consumers charge interest. However, switching your debts to a 0% balance transfer credit card could allow you to avoid paying any interest at all for almost two years.

    The Barclaycard Platinum Card with Extended Balance Transfer, for example, offers 22 months at 0% (subject to a one-off fee of 2.9%).  It is important to clear your balance within 22 months, though, as the representative APR on the card is 17.9% (variable).

    If, however, you think you can clear your debts in a shorter time, there is also the Virgin Low Fee Balance Transfer Credit Card, which offers 0% for nine months. It has a one-off charge of as little as 1.5% and a representative APR of 16.8% (variable).

    Every week, Clare Francis, financial journalist and editor of comparison site moneysupermarket.com will offer tips and advice on all things money-related to help iVillagers make the most of their hard-earned cash. From energy bills to car insurance; credit cards to children’s savings accounts; mortgages to discount vouchers Clare will show you how to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

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Quickfire Q and A with Matt Woods

Matt Woods
With festival season almost upone us, iVillage.co.uk caught up with up-and-coming singer songwriter Matt Woods, who will be playing at the Happy Days Festival, which takes place in Surrey over the weekend of June 2 and 3. How are you feeling about playing at the Happy Days Festival? Matt Woods: I am so excited! It was a big ambition of mine at the start of 2012 to play my first festivals this summer, and this is a special one to be a part of. For those who haven’t heard you, how would you describe your music? Matt Woods: Most people call it ‘Acoustic Soul’. I would describe it as Ray LaMontagne with a little more Loop Pedal and a little less beard. Of the other acts performing at Happy Days, who would be your ideal partner in a duet? Matt Woods: Well, I don’t know if you could call it a duet, but I would love to be in one of Soul II Soul’s videos from the early nineties. They could do the singing I could do the dancing. Also, I would love to do something with Billy Ocean. This man has so much soul! It’s not fair... Which acts, past and present, inspire your writing? Matt Woods: Past acts would be Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac and Ray Charles. Ray Charles has this way of forging new genres. He was an innovator. This is important for me because I am bringing together elements of Folk and Soul music and hoping to make sense of what comes from it! Ray Charles was the best at this. Present acts are often more of a lyrical inspiration for me. Artists like Damien Rice, Regina Spektor, Paolo Nutini and Mumford & Sons all have such beautiful lyrics. I think this is ultimately why they stand out for me. What do you most get a buzz from – performing live or producing music in a studio? Matt Woods: Live performance is the biggest rush. You can create some real moments of magic in a studio, but these are invariably shared by only two or three people. At a gig when something special happens, the whole room feels it. The atmosphere that an audience can create is unbelievable - silence in a room full of people builds this incredible tension! What have you got coming up for the rest of 2012? Matt Woods: I am working a lot at the moment with some brilliant people who are helping me develop my sound a little further. If they get their way I will be twice as soulful by the end of 2012! To be honest, the rest of the year is wonderfully ambiguous right now. All I know is there will be a lot of time spent writing, recording and performing. This is enough for me. Matt Woods debut EP Icarus is out now and available to download for free from www.mattwoodsofficial.com/download   Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattWoodsMusic

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Cross stitch a 'me time' eye mask

eye mask
We all need some me time, and this eye mask is designed for just those moments when you put yourself first. Hide your mobile phone, close the laptop, turn off the TV and chill out. Heck, why not stick on some Engelbert Humperdinck? Ok, don't do that, but what we're saying is: relax. This mask is like a stylish do not disturb sign, wear it at home or take it on long journeys, pop in your headphones and unwind... You will need... - 28 count white evenweave, 23x34cm - Patterned backing fabric, 12x23cm - Wadding, 12x23cm - Pink ric rac, 55cm - Pale blue ribbon, 1m (Click on the pattern to view as PDF) To make your eye mask... Trim your stitching to 2cm beyond the stitched shape all the way around. Cut your wadding and backing pieces to the same shape. Tack your ric rac on to the front of your stitching, following the shape of the design. Pin your blue ribbon in place at each side. Right sides in, place your backing fabric on top, followed by your wadding.  Pin and machine stitch all the way around, leaving an opening for turning. Be sure to stitch through the centre of the ric rac. Turn right sides out and slip stitch the opening closed to finish. Design size: 8.5x19cm Designed by Kerry Morgan. Pattern reproduced with permission from Cross Stitcher magazine. For more information visit Crossstitcher.themakingspot.com/

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15 of the best high street statement trousers

This spring and summer statement trousers are taking centre stage.

Katy Hill's working mum diary

As a Blue Peter presenter Katy Hill had her fair share of adventures, but these days she faces tougher challenges - juggling full-time motherhood with a TV career. From Daybreak to day’s end, Katy and husband Trey have their hands full with a five-year-old daughter and toddler son. And there’s not a nanny in sight. This could get messy…

The Red, White & Blue Countdown!

By Katy Hill on 23 May 2012 No comments

So this week, there’s a picture of me with the kids in Hello! magazine, as part of the new Jubilee Hour charity.

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a baby's eye
Beach huts wallpaper and polka dots wallpaper in bathroom
an assortment of summer shoes
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