Little Party People

Emily's first birthday is almost here. Ignoring the little screaming person inside my head who cannot for the life of her understand how this year passed so quickly, my logical side set itself to organising a party. Thanks to plenty of photos, I "remember" my first birthday party. I remember my red velvet dress and white knee socks (it was the 80s, so sue me!) and I remember there being many people and all the family and lots and lots to eat.

Naturally, I want to give Emily the same memories. Parties were always huge in my childhood. If there was one thing my parents did well (they did many other things well too), it was birthday celebrations. So I was never going to be one of those people who celebrated Emily's first birthday with a couple of close friends. I don't think any less of people who choose to do it that way, but it isn't for me.

So my next task was to establish what sort of party to have. We considered doing something at home. No, not enough space. Maybe renting a function hall and organising catering and entertainment for the little people. And we considered inviting some of Emily's little friends to have some fun at a soft play centre. There was also the issue that the grandparents will be coming all the way from Malta for the event, and I didn't really want them to be coming to watch some toddlers have fun while they watch and aren't really able to participate in the party themselves.

What to do, what to do?

Solution: two parties. Oh dear.

But hear me out.

Over lunch, there will be the little people party at a soft play area (which worked out far cheaper than renting a hall and sorting all that out - and best bit is I don't need to organise anything other than the cake!). Then, after a well-needed nap, there will be a little gathering at home for close family and godparents. And during that, Maltese tradition will be upheld in the form of a "quccija" - a funny little custom in which a baby supposedly chooses his or her destiny.

I cannot think of a better way to spend Emily's first birthday. There will be photos - many, many photos - which maybe she will one day love as much as I love the photos of my first birthday party, especially knowing now the thought and effort my parents put into it for me! We are all so excited!

Amber

Teething. Don't we love it?! The crying, red cheeks, streaming nose, fever, nightmare nappies. The list goes on. Emily seemed to start teething when she was 2 months old, before she could even hold a teether to her mouth. Her first tooth eventually showed up at 7 months. They say there is a lot of movement below the gums before teeth actually cut through. It's a long process, and not a fun one by any means.

I started looking for tips early. Teething powder was high on everyone's list. Teething gels are well known. Trusty Calpol and Nurofen always come to the rescue. But sometimes it's just not enough, and I don't like pouring medicines down Emily's throat constantly! So from an early age, having researched it's safety and a reputable place to purchase from, Emily wore an amber necklace. For centuries throughout Europe, Baltic amber has been used for healing and wellbeing. When worn, the warmth from the body releases the amber's natural oils into the skin, soothing the misery of teething aches and pains offering a completely natural teething remedy.(1)

It started as one of those things I put on for her on the off-chance that it made a difference and helped her even just a little bit. The only time it comes off is for bathtime.

But once, I forgot it off after bathtime and all of the next day. I couldn't for the life of me understand why she moaned and whinged so much that day. I knew she was teething that week but why the sudden change? It was when I realised the amber necklace wasn't on that it occurred to me that maybe it did make that much of a difference.

I have since changed her necklace to an anklet (despite necklaces being safe, I felt more comfortable with the idea of an anklet at night), and a few weeks ago again, forgot it off after bathtime. The night that followed was not restful (to say the least), for Emily or for us.

Could it be, then, that it helps that much? I am quite sold at this point and am more than happy to recommend amber to other parents. After all, if it can't harm the child and might very well be giving a helping hand, the question very simply is: why not?

(1) Information Source: Dino Daisy

Safer Internet Day: Kaspersky ONE Competition

There's no doubt about it, the Internet is taking over the world, which means it's getting harder to protect yourself and your family online. With this in mind, Kaspersky Lab in collaboration with accidentally, kle are offering you the chance to win a copy of Kaspersky ONE, worth £79.99, ahead of Safer Internet Day on February 7th.

Kaspersky ONE Universal Security is the easy, one-license solution to protect your PCs, Macs, smartphones and Android tablets. Based on award-winning Kaspersky Lab technologies, Kaspersky ONE delivers real-time protection against dangerous Internet threats with security optimised for each device. So no matter which devices you use to bank, shop, surf, or chat online, you know you're always safe.

For more information on how to stay safe online, check out these top tips from Kaspersky Lab's senior security researcher, David Emm.

1. Got protection? This may seem obvious, but security software is the new "black". It helps you stay fully protected against malware, spyware, hackers and identity theft. And don't forget to perform regular updates and scans.

2. Password strength matters. Use secure passwords – a different one for each Internet service. Set passwords to include 8-14 upper & lower case characters and numbers. Don't use any words that are in the dictionary — they're too easy for hackers to guess.

3. Protect your family. You stop your children from talking to strangers on the street – you should do so online too. Be aware of the potential dangers of the net from online bullying to paedophiles. Take parental control over the sites you don't what your children to look at by using the parental control feature in your online security product – it's an easy way to avoid disaster.

4. Click with care. If you're checking your email or talking over instant messenger, make it a practice to avoid clicking on links in messages from people you don't know. These links could lead you to a malicious website and result in malware installing on your computer.

5. Practise safe online shopping. When you're going to buy those new killer shoes or the latest toy for your tyke, make sure you purchase from a reputable online retailer. You always look for a URL that starts with "https" and has the lock symbol when entering your credit card details or other personal information.

6. Socialise safely. By now, we've all had a bad link or two sent to us over our favourite social network. Utilise your social network's security settings to their optimum level. Do you really need to display every detail about your life? And perhaps more importantly – do your children?

7. Keep your privates, private. A good rule of thumb: Don't post anything online that you wouldn't want to see on the front page of your local newspaper! This includes your personal phone number, email address and street address, your holiday plans – and maybe also your bikini-clad, beach holiday pics.

8. Stomp out spam. Most Internet Service Providers & security software programs have anti-spam technologies. The spam blocker will help prevent fraudulent emails from showing up in your Inbox tempting you with fake lottery wins or promising certain body-part enlargements.

9. Be careful how you surf. Open wireless networks are called 'open' for a reason: anyone can connect, including hackers. If you do have to use one, use a password manager to store passwords and enter them for you automatically. This will prevent data being captured by cybercriminals using a keylogger. And only enter personal information on secure sites – look for the "https"

10. Handle personal information with care. Beware of online sites that ask you to enter too much personal data. Read the small print – they may be selling on your personal details to third parties resulting in even more email spam and cold calls.



How to enter the competition to win a copy of Kaspersky ONE worth £79.99.

1. To enter, leave a comment on this post with the answer to the following question: Where are Kaspersky's headquarters located? Please ensure you leave some form of contact be it via a blog, email, twitter, etc. [Note that I will be unable to accept entries that do not include some form of contact details!]

2. For additional entries, you can do one or more (or all!) of the following:

+ follow @accidentallykle. Leave a comment saying you have done. If you already follow, then mention that too - it counts!

+ tweet the following: "I have entered the @kaspersky competition on http://www.accidentallykle.com to win a copy of Kaspersky ONE worth £79.77 via @accidentallykle"

+ follow @kaspersky. Leave a comment saying you have. If you already follow, then mention that too.

+ like accidentally, kle on Facebook. Then comment here saying you've done so. If you already "like", then mention that too!



This competition is open to UK readers only [updated: apologies to anyone outside the UK who's already entered].

Winner will be drawn via a random number generator on the 7th February - Safer Internet Day.

Best of luck to you all!

A Matter of Time

In 8 days, my tiny baby turns one. Tiny baby is not so tiny any longer. She weighs over 20lbs and has hair long enough to pull into a ponytail (I toy with the idea but haven't yet). She has a little collection of words that she uses on a regular basis. She is now mobile and cruises around the living room like she owns it. Her favourite spot, however, is her bookshelf. Early on, I cleared one of the wall unit shelves and filled it with her books. She has recently discovered it and takes pleasure in inspecting her books over and over again until they all end up at her feet. She'll then hang out at the shelf and "read" a book or two of her choice.



I could watch her for hours.


But yesterday saw her first "accident". She slipped and hit her mouth against the corner of the tv unit. There was so much blood. I generally pride myself on keeping calm during situations like that. I'm usually really, really good. (It's needles that scare me, not blood.) But this time... oh I was mostly calm, I did everything right, but there were moments of panic where I struggled to keep it together. My baby was broken. She was bleeding and all I could do, really, was wait to see whether the bleeding would continue.

It didn't. But the afterwards looked pretty scary. My top and her top full of blood splatters, kitchen towels soaked in blood, a cup I'd used to give her water to wash her mouth with also streaked with blood. It wasn't a pretty sight.

She was fine long before I was. I sat her in her highchair and offered her a couple spoonfuls of ice-cream (I figured the cold would help?!). She slept for 3 hours after that and it took almost that long for my heart to return to it's normal rhythm.

It still races just remembering.

Crowning Glory

I was born bald. When my hair finally grew, it was very fair. I now have dark hair. My mum often mentions that I was her fairest child and yet I am now her darkest.

But hair colour is not what this post is about.

Some of you know me as she of the curly hair. If you fall into this category, you probably went to school with me or knew me before I turned 17. Many of you have no idea I have curly hair.

My hair is curly. And very frizzy. Over the years, I have subjected my hair to several treatments in an attempt to make it less so. All to no avail. My hair remains curly, which technically I could live with. But to my horror, it has also remained frizzy.



Cute on a (grumpy!!) kid, not so great on an adult.

Washing my hair is a huge event. Wet hair will always be followed by approximately 45 minutes of drying time. My hair gets tugged and pulled and straightened to within an inch of it's life so that I can, until the next time I need to wash it (or the next time I forget an umbrella when it rains), pretend that it is actually naturally not frizzy. It is for this reason that hair washing needs to be planned. Scheduled. It can not simply happen on an ad hoc basis.

I could never be a person who washes her hair every day. It would eat into my week too dramatically. This has, over my lifetime, impacted things that anyone else may never think of, like exercising. There was a time when I was getting into running quite a bit. Part of me would have gladly gone out running every evening. I loved it and the time it gave me to be out, feeling the wind against my face and just enjoying my own company. But alas, a good run works up a sweat. After which I would need a head-to-toe shower. Problem.

I won't lie: it's not the first time I've gone to bed with a sweaty head. Sometimes I just don't have the energy to deal with my hair.

I hate that I am not able to walk in the rain without a care in the world. I hate that rain turns me into a fretful "must cover my hair lest it detects humidity" bimbo.

There are times when I attempt to "wash & go". Each time, I hope that maybe - just maybe - my curls have been visited by the frizz fairy and they will magically look like this once dry (that's the closest image I could find to what my hair might look like sans frizz). Or that something clicks in my head and I am suddenly able to look at myself in the mirror and not care. Each time, I regret it. The frizz fairy is about as real as the tooth fairy and my hair still thinks it's a bona fide Jackson Five hairstyle. And I still hate it.

(I should clarify at this point that "wash & go" in my case should not be taken literally. It involves a plethora of sprays, creams, lotions and potions that I have tried over the years. Some things have worked for a few weeks. But ah, my hair is smarter than that.)

Is there a point to all this? No. I simply needed to vent. Because at this point - even carrying an extra 30lbs that I am desperate to lose - if you had to ask me what I'd change about myself, I may stop to think about it, but ultimately I know that my answer would be my hair. I would give anything not to have this silent dictator seemingly ruling my everyday life. /rant