Turn them off!! - Put them away!!

My hair straighteners are very important to me....I use them nearly every day but I do make a point of putting them away out of reach away from Becky and Ellie as soon as I have finished with them!!

I have always told the girls they will burn them if they get hold of them the wrong way....They know to stay away from them...In fact Ellie runs away from me if I have them in my hands....I've burnt myself on them a couple of times and I'm supposed to be the responsible one...

Straighteners can reach temperatures of over 220°C and then take up to forty minutes to cool down after use.

According to the Electrical Safety Council hair straighteners now account for almost 1 in 10 reported childhood burns cases....The majority of these incidents are when toddlers touch, grab or tread on the hot hair straightener plates.

If you use hair straighteners follow these top tips to make sure that you and your children stay safe from electrical burns...

Keep hair straighteners out of reach of children!
Children’s skin can be 15 times thinner than that of adults so it’s important to keep them out of reach of little feet and hands.

Use a heat proof pouch!
Hair straighteners stay hot up to forty minutes after they have been switched off. A heat proof pouch is the easiest and safest way to store a product after use.

Keep them away from skin!
Do not allow the any of the hot plates to come into contact with the face, neck or scalp when using straighteners.

Seek medical attention!
In the incident of a serious burn, seek immediate medical attention. If the hot plates comes into contact with the skin but it is not serious run the affected area under cold water. 

Somewhere...someplace... today...

Somewhere...someplace... today...
A family is waiting to hear...
Is something wrong with their baby?
The answers aren't quite clear... 

This family has entered an unwanted world...
And they just don't know what to expect...
Somewhere...someplace... today
They first heard the words: heart defect. 

And how they hoped this was not true...
And thought... this cannot be...
I too... know just how this feels...
For one day...this was me.

Somewhere...someplace...today...
A man and a woman embrace...
Their baby is in surgery...
They long to see her face... 

They haven't got to hold her yet...
Without...a cord or line...
They pace the room awaiting news...
And hope she'll be just fine. 

Prayers fill this busy waiting room...
And mum and dad are scared...
Somewhere...someplace..today...
The tiniest hearts are repaired.

Somewhere...someplace...today...
A child's growing fast...
Smiling,laughing,thriving...
His mum thinks...can this last? 

It's almost easy...to forget...
That anything is wrong...
Somewhere...someplace..today...
Her child seems so strong.

Somewhere...someplace... today...
A little boy fights...just to live
A father holds his tiny hand...
His love...all he can give... 

The doctor's are all baffled...
They fear that he might die...
Somewhere...someplace...today...
A family says goodbye...

Somewhere...someplace...each year..
More than 40,000 families will see...
What it means...when something's wrong...
They'll face a CHD. 

Today...for just a moment...
Stop...remember...reflect...
Make time to tell someone you know...
"I've been changed by a heart defect".

Some bonds cannot be understood...
Unless you have walked them before...
A path that I would not have chosen...
A future I just can't ignore.

We've all watched our children intently...
Memorizing each line...
And let them leave our loving arms...
And prayed things would be fine. 

We've paced the halls awaiting news...
And wondered just what lie in store...
We've felt our own heart's racing as...
We walked through an ICU door.

We've seen the child we love so much...
Struggling to overcome...
The lines...the cords....the monitors...
No thoughts...no words...would come.

We've prayed for an improvement...
We've laid it in God's hands..
We've cried...we've hoped...we've worried...
We've wondered of God's plans. 

We've learned just how a heart works...
Each valve and artery...
We've asked alot of questions...
We've faced each surgery. 

And somewhere down this well worn path...
We've met more families...
Who know exactly what it means...
To live with this disease. 

We've smiled at every triumph...
And shared in every sigh...
We've prayed for a child that struggles...
And each family that must say goodbye. 

Some battles are fought with bullets...
And weapons made for war...
While these are fought in silence...
Behind a hospital door.

We've wondered what lies in our future...
We've been thankful for just one more day...
We've stopped and watched with tear-filled eyes...
Our children...as they play. 

We've struggled with ounces and weight gain...
Why won't my child just eat?
But heart mum's ...we're a tough group...
We've learned how to face a defeat. 

We've faced those moments...others do...
When life has got us stressed...
But it doesn't take long to remember...
That we are richly blessed. 

We've taken on a whole new role...
One we we wouldn't exchange if we could...
We know that life is difficult...
We hold onto all that is good. 

God chose each of us carefully...
I do believe he smiled...
Some bonds begin with strangers...
And just one special child.

Author Unknown

Read our story....Part One & Part Two...

Wrappz Personalised Mugs - Review

Last week I discovered a company called Wrappz who specialise in personalised phone cases, covers & skins. Custom laptop skins and stickers. iPhone, iPad & iPod touch cases, skins and more all made in the UK....

That wasn't what interested me though....It was their Personalised Mugs which caught my eye!!

"Whether it's the latest family photo collage or an image from your recent adventure holiday, seeing your favourite image on your mug each morning is sure to bring a smile to your face. You can also have slogans or humorous text printed to complete the look"

There are 3 types of mugs to choose from.... 

 A 15oz Stein Mug is perfect for those of you who can't seem to get enough of their morning beverage. Also suitable for gifting, the stein mug gives you a slightly bigger surface that can be personalised with a glossy image...

A 10oz White Ceramic Mug that comes in the shape of a classic coffee mug but allows you to custom make it in ways that can heighten your sense of artistic creation. ...

A 10oz Porcelain Mug that boasts of a timeless appeal for any occasion. Add a 'classic' touch to your drink-ware with this high-quality, clean-lined lightweight mug that also allows you to personalise it with your choice of design or a glossy image.

We chose the 15oz Stein Mug....Perfect for my morning coffee!!

I got on with making the design for the mug.....Of course you can use your own photos and even add some extras like smiley faces and goofy eyes....If you don't want to use your own photos they have a huge selection of picture on the website to use....You are bound to find something you like....

There are step by step instructions all the way through the process of designing your mug....I'm no computer expert and found it easy to understand...

It was just a case of picking the photos, uploading them to the site and then fitting them into the box which is the right size for the mug....It took me longer to decide which pictures to use then it did to make the mug it was that simple!!

As well as adding images you can change the colours of them....You can have it in black or white or with a sepia effect....Very fancy!! You can also add text....Perfect if it's a gift for somebody....You can leave them a little message so they never forget who gave them such a fabulous mug!!

I chose these three photos for our mug....One of the girls together and two by themselves.... What else would I choose...lol They love seeing their faces on things like this....They find it so amazing!!

I ordered it late on Thursday afternoon and it arrived on the Saturday morning...

I think it's fantastic!! The middle picture is a bit darker than the picture I uploaded but it just seems to be the background which is fine!! The other two pictures are perfect though....

The mug is big enough for my morning coffee but not too big that it makes it difficult to lift the mug with one hand....This would make an ideal gift...

I would definitely recommend this company....It's hassle free, quick to deliver and send great quality products!

I was sent this mug free of charge for the purpose of this review....This is my honest review....All thoughts and opinions are my own!!

 

Before You Were Born...

I saw this over on Mummy Tries encouraging people to conjure up memories of what life was like before having children.....It's was the beginning of January 2002 when I found out I was pregnant with Becky....Such a long time ago!!

You can read Mummy Tries post here....

What Is Your Favourite Holiday Destination And Why?

Blackpool....I went to Blackpool for my 18th birthday!! What a weekend.....Arrived the Friday afternoon and got ready and went out drinking and that was the theme for the whole weekend....lol I drank so much....Ate so much junk food and danced until my feet hurt.....We stayed in a scruffy bed and breakfast....I only ate the breakfast on the Monday morning....Far too hungover any other morning to get out of bed never mind face a fry up! lol It was so cheap and cheesy I loved it....

What Is Your Funniest Memory Pre-Children

Running down the street naked apart from a pair of trainers in the snow at about 4am in the morning after a drunken game of truth or dare....I don't think any of the neighbours saw.....If they did they never said anything...lol

 

What Was Your Favourite Thing To Do In The Evening?

Watching the soaps with no interruptions....Going to the local Working Mans Club and playing Bingo.....lol Yes so sad but lots of fun....Especially when I won....The old biddies were not happy!!

What Hobbies Do You Have That You Can No Longer Do?

Not really a hobby but I used to love and stay up to watch the WWE Wrestling shows each week as well as the monthly Pay-Per Views....As they are live in America they are shown 1/2am in the morning and don't finish until about 4/5am....Imagine getting up for the school run with 3 hours sleep....Now it gets recorded and I watch it on an evening before bed....lol

What Do You Think You Took For Granted Before Having Children?

• Sleep...
• Going the bathroom with the door shut...
• Wearing shoes with really big heels....I've never been able to wear them since having kids....They play havoc with my back! 
• Being spontaneous as a couple.....We can't just decide not to cook and go out to eat just the two of us.....Babysitters need to be planned weeks in advance...
• Hot food and drinks... 

 

I'm not going to tag anybody....I never know who to tag....Just have a go at it and leave the link in the comments...