- http://www.carrotsandkids.com and www.knickerbockerglory.typepad.com/being ordinary
Debbie is a qualified newspaper journalist with five children and two blogs. She writes a gardening with children blog at www.carrotsandkids.com and a general blog called The Ecstasy of Being Ordinary. She’s our outdoors specialist, with a knack for Top 10s.
Pint-sized popstar and X-Factor judge Danni Minogue has given birth to a baby boy. The Australian, 38, and her model boyfriend Kris Smith, 32, have given the new arrival a lovely normal name: Ethan Edward Smith.
The mini Minogue was born on July 5th, and a statement said "Mother and baby are doing well and Dad is very proud. They request their privacy at this special time to adjust as new parents."
Kris took to his page to say "'On behalf of the three of us I would like to thank you all for your kind words and best wishes. It means a lot to us."
Just days before giving birth, Danni was tweeting about her eagerness to resume her judging duties on X Factor later this year.
Many celebrities have passed on their congratulations over Twitter, including X Factor 2008 winner Alexandra Burke.
Dannii admits that before meeting Kris, she had no desire to have children. On meeting "The One" her broodiness kicked in and she became pregnant shortly after.
I find it's easy to keep young children amused outdoors – usually some earth, something to dig with and water will happily see them making mud pies for quite a while.
But, let's face it, mud pies are not going to keep older children entertained. Neither will building fairy houses, playing in a paddling pool or "painting" with water.
If you don't want to see your older child bent over a small screen for the whole of the summer then you might have to bite the bullet and spend some money because it seems keeping them occupied isn't cheap. We've tested a couple of items that might do the trick.
Missing locks on doors, bad smells and a lack of toilet paper in school toilets are not just inconveniences – they are making children ill.
Poor standards are making pupils reluctant to use the loos and many hold on all day until they are home, resulting in chronic constipation, incontinence and urinary infections.
The horrible conditions can also lead children to resist drinking water throughout the day, leading to dehydration and other health problems, according to a new survey of school toilets in the UK.
It's been a while since I've graced a space hopper. Too long, probably. So I thought it was time to introduce my children to the delights of bouncing up and down on a large, coloured round thing, while grabbing onto the handles.
After all, every childhood should feature this simple but effective toy, right? And what could be better on a camping trip than to while away the hours racing each other on something called "Psycho".
Well, if you had three space hoppers to bounce on, that would be fabulous. And sunny weather. Oh, and lots of space too.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is now turning his attention to what goes on inside classrooms, instead of the kitchens, with plans to set up his own school.
While we love Oliver in our house – his food is easy to cook and delicious to eat plus he is doing great things – I'm not entirely sure I'd want my children to attend a Jamie Oliver School.
But it doesn't look like parents have much to worry about. This school, for teenagers who have struggled in the mainstream education system, is for a Channel 4 programme.
Forget hiring a bouncy castle or arranging a trip to the cinema to celebrate your child's birthday. How about helping them attempt to break a world record and raise money for someone else at the same time?
This was the tenth birthday celebration American Jack Singer decided on last week. But his world record beating achievement was one with a difference.
He set the new world record for the number of underpants worn at the same time. The number of pairs he managed to don? 215!
Now the warmer weather is here and the summer holidays beckon, it's a good idea to stock up on games that you can play at home and on holiday.
Faced with a week's camping in a field with five children and the promise of sun, the Garden Noughts and Crosses set was one game that made it into the car's roof box.
Space is so tight in the car when we go camping (despite having a trailer too) that anything we take has to earn it's keep, so the question is: did the game keep the children entertained?
I fear some belt tightening is going to happen around here if the newspaper reports on the economy are to be believed. Which means it doesn't hurt to reign in my rampant consumer tendencies, even if it's not quite as much fun.
So, what better way to start this thrifty adventure than with a handful of homemade Father's Day gifts for the dad who recently told me "don't worry about buying me any presents". I'm not sure receiving some homemade ones was quite what he had in mind, but being a generous soul I've decided to launch my new thrifty adventure on 20 June.
Here at ParentDish we recently showcased some great present ideas but, if you want to save pennies and the planet, you could get thrifty too...
Bored teenage boys in America have come up with a new -- and frankly pretty awful -- way to while away the hours. They play a game called "sack tapping" involving a kick to the testicles.
Not surprisingly the new trend to test each others' endurance that is currently sweeping through schools has a particular attraction to bullies.
But experts are warning it's one game that can have serious medical consequences. Not only that but it is no doubt incredibly painful which begs the question, why do they do it?
I'm all for making the most of good weather and getting outside lots in the summer but one thing I've never considered is taking a twilight picnic.
Now this has nothing to do with vampires and love stories, it's about setting off for a picnic at dusk. And it's all thanks to the National Trust, which is staging lots of twilight picnics. There are some lovely spots where you can spread out your rug this month and enjoy the long summer evenings.
So dig out your hamper, stock up on delicious finger food and read our list to find out where you can have some summer twilight fun.
Gia Milinovich
Gia is a TV presenter, well-known blogger and web celeb with a large online following on her blog and on Twitter.
Debbie Webber
Debbie is a qualified newspaper journalist with five children and two blogs.
Jenny Cornish
Jenny has worked on local and regional newspapers for 7 years, and is currently on maternity leave with her first baby.
Sarah Powell
Sarah is an award-winning journalist who has worked as a writer for lots of publishing corporations in the UK including emap and IPC.
Joanne Mallon
Joanne Mallon is an experienced journalist and life coach, published in The Guardian, Daily Express, Daily Star Sunday etc.
Katie Lee
Katie Lee was recently voted one of London’s most influential people by the Evening Standard. She also contributes to Look, Woman & Home and the Telegraph.
Suze Nowak
Suze is a British ex-pat living in Germany with her husband and young daughter Finje.
Felicity Quigley
Felicity Quigley is a freelance lifestyle writer and blogger. She has contributed to various magazines and websites including Grazia Middle East.
Emma Cossey
Emma is our resident fashion specialist, having worked as a blogger and writer on a number of fashion and beauty websites.
Parentdish.co.uk, the ultimate guide to celebrating the joys and challenges of parenting. Updated daily, Parentdish.co.uk will offer the best advice, entertainment, news, opinions, and reviews for mums and dads who want to be informed and encouraged to be great parents. It documents the trends, hits, misses and anything of interest happening in the parenting world.
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Debbie is a qualified newspaper journalist with five children and two blogs. She writes a gardening with children blog at www.carrotsandkids.com and a general blog called The Ecstasy of Being Ordinary. She’s our outdoors specialist, with a knack for Top 10s.
Pint-sized popstar and X-Factor judge Danni Minogue has given birth to a baby boy. The Australian, 38, and her model boyfriend Kris Smith, 32, have given the new arrival a lovely normal name: Ethan Edward Smith.
I find it's easy to keep young children amused outdoors – usually some earth, something to dig with and water will happily see them making mud pies for quite a while.
Missing locks on doors, bad smells and a lack of toilet paper in school toilets are not just inconveniences – they are making children ill.
It's been a while since I've graced a space hopper. Too long, probably. So I thought it was time to introduce my children to the delights of bouncing up and down on a large, coloured round thing, while grabbing onto the handles.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is now turning his attention to what goes on inside classrooms, instead of the kitchens, with plans to set up his own school.
Now the warmer weather is here and the summer holidays beckon, it's a good idea to stock up on games that you can play at home and on holiday.
I fear some belt tightening is going to happen around here if the newspaper reports on the economy are to be believed. Which means it doesn't hurt to reign in my rampant consumer tendencies, even if it's not quite as much fun.
Bored teenage boys in America have come up with a new -- and frankly pretty awful -- way to while away the hours. They play a game called "sack tapping" involving a kick to the testicles.
I'm all for making the most of good weather and getting outside lots in the summer but one thing I've never considered is taking a twilight picnic.
Gia Milinovich
Debbie Webber
Jenny Cornish
Sarah Powell
Joanne Mallon
Katie Lee
Suze Nowak
Felicity Quigley
Emma Cossey
