Kids bored at home this summer? Give them something to do!

Special photo gifts and games for children this summer.

Let children create their own puzzle, game or cuddly friend. Kids will light up when they receive their game with their own photograph. Only for the month of July 2009 FotoInsight is offering these entertaining photo gifts at a 30% discount. Simply use voucher code " SUMMER09 ":

Picture Pairs Games
Match the photos to make-up pairs. The game promotes the mental development, sorting, mental image rotation, matching and the development of memory skills. Encoding, of novel picture pairs activates the perirhinal cortex (a region of the brain) and is a real brain jogger for all ages. Creating a personal FotoInsight Picture Pairs game from digital camera images is as easy as ordering any other photo prints online.

Photo Puzzle
Any family that has digital photos can create this unique jigsaw puzzle. A durable print on quality cardboard makes assembling a family photo puzzle an entertaining challenge.

Teddy Bear
Cuddly quality teddy bear wearing a t-shirt with photo print.

Baseball cap
Practical sun shield cap with photo print. Sun protection that children actually will want to wear.

Shoulder bag
Attractive shoulder bag for young girls. The print area extends over the whole cover of 18 x 22 cm.

For the UK:
Picture Pairs only £9.09
Photo Puzzle, from £5.59
Teddy Bear £6.29
Baseball Cap only £4.89
Shoulder Bag reduced from £14.99 to £10.49
UK: http://fotoinsight.co.uk

For the Republic of Ireland and Euro-Zone
Picture Pairs only € 9.79
Photo Puzzle, from € 6.90
Teddy Bear € 9.09
Baseball Cap € 8.30
Shoulder Bag reduced from €19.99 to € 13.99
Ireland: http://fotoinsight.ie/
International: http://fotoinsight.com

Mum eases torture of baby eczema

“When you see a newborn baby with cracked, red skin, who can’t sleep for more than half an hour at a time because he’s so itchy, you understand that childhood eczema for many babies and their families is nothing short of torture. To be told it’s ‘just’ baby eczema shows a deep misunderstanding of just how devastating this condition can be.”

Andrea Shell from Haslemere in Surrey discovered the heartbreak of baby eczema when her 10 week old son’s dry skin progressed to severe eczema that prescription creams and bath oils seemed to make worse rather than better. Dissatisfied with the help offered by doctors and an apparent lack of interest in uncovering the triggers for Josh’s eczema Andrea, an experienced veterinary nurse, embarked upon an intensive period of online research, reading medical texts, research papers and other parents’ experiences to better understand her son’s condition.

Armed with information, intuition and finding the answer in a ‘smelly vest’ Andrea worked out that her son was reacting to detergents. Josh’s skin is now under control and, barring the occasional flare-up , is generally eczema free.

With the launch of her new parent to parent website Itchy Baby www.itchybaby.co.uk Andrea shares her story and the fruits of her research with other families who have an itchy baby or child of their own. It’s been a labour of love for Andrea that has taken her from worried parent to eczema expert and, having self taught herself website coding and programming over the past 4 months, she now adds website design to her areas of expertise.

Andrea said:
“The aim of Itchy Baby www.itchybaby.co.uk is simply to provide a place of information, support and community for the parents of babies suffering with baby eczema. It’s difficult to understand the distress and the impact of this condition unless you live with it.

“I hope that many parents and carers of children with eczema will share their experiences to help us build a treasure trove of information, suggestions to reduce the symptoms and ways of coping that will be a real support to other families and their itchy babies.”

Micro Scooters availble in red, yellow, green, pink, blue

For the first time since the launch of the now ubiquitous blue and pink Mini Micro Scooters the Micro Scooter team is introducing a new, limited edition set of eye-catching colours to their Mini Micro collection. Set to blaze a multi-coloured trail on the ‘scoot to school’ this coming autumn, the green, yellow and red Mini Micro Scooters will be available exclusively in the UK, from early July via: www.micro-scooters.co.uk.

The new colours are not solely reserved for those buying from the limited edition ranges as Micro Scooters Ltd will also be selling red, green and yellow handle grips, decks and brakes as separates, allowing existing Micro Scooter owners to ‘pick n mix’ accessories to ‘revamp their ride’!

The Mini Micro Scooter in the UK’s number one selling scooter for kids aged 3-5 years and has earned its place as the coolest form of transport for young children on three wheels. Its high quality Swiss design makes scooting fun and easy for youngsters who love the independence and sense of achievement the Mini Micro Scooter gives them. Its 3-wheel construction (two in front) and a low-to-the-ground flexible footboard allows maximum control and stability, and a unique lean-and-steer design enables kids to use their body weight to effortlessly guide their direction and enjoy a smooth ‘skateboard like’ ride.

Parents nationwide have also quickly become devoted fans of the Mini Micro Scooter, which promotes kids’ independence, enhances their balance, coordination and gross motor skills, and makes exercise fun. The scooter is lightweight to carry and easy to store. It is also a great way of ‘going green’ encouraging parents and kids alike to forego four-wheel transport in favour of three for daily local jaunts – or ‘micro journey’s’ as Micro Scooters likes to term them!

The new limited edition colours are available exclusively at www.micro-scooters.co.uk, costing £54.95.

BE SAFE BE SEEN

Micro Scooters also offers an extensive range of colourful, quality safety accessories including:

• Helmets: with styrofoam padding and nylon web straps, available in a range of sizes and funky designs, priced from £16.95.
• Frog Lights by Knog: Available in eight different colours and giving visibility up to 600 metres with either a steady or flashing light, it has a battery life of 160hrs and its unique flexible body allows it to wrap round and hold fast onto the stem of your Micro Scooter. Priced at £7.99
• Girls and boys junior knee, wrist and elbow pads (from £12.95) and high visibility reflective jackets (£4.99) as recommended by the Government as part of its walk to school initiative.

Micro Scooters Ltd was created by Anna Gibson and Philippa Gogarty who got a hold of the Mini Micro Scooter for their children and couldn’t believe how it changed their lives for the better. Passionate about the product, the pair worked with Micro Mobility Systems AG, the Swiss company that invented the Mini Kickboard Scooter, to become the distributors in the UK. Based on the huge success of the Scooter in the UK they are currently expanding the company around the world in countries including: The United States, South Africa, Holland and Southern Ireland.

Save up to 50% on School Holiday Entertainment & Essentials this Summer

SAVE up to 50% and make the summer holidays more affordable with a new range of offers on games, DVDs, books, clothes, travel and more from DiscountVouchers.co.uk

Don’t let the school holidays break the bank this summer, with a new range of special offers and discounts on everything from computer games, music and DVDs to travel ideas, holiday clothes and books, all available at www.DiscountVouchers.co.uk

With the start of the summer holidays just around the corner, parents can keep their children entertained and save money, with offers from over 300 leading brands such as Borders, Game, HMV, Miss Selfridge, and Nike.

Current offers include 20% off books ordered online at Borders – ideal for holiday reading; 10% of CDs and DVDs and free delivery at CDWow; three CDs for £10 at HMV; up to £79 off a Sony camera at Jessops; and up to 50% off a range of clothes at Miss Selfridge and New Look.

DiscountVouchers.co.uk also features a range of travel offerssuch as save up to 40% at Disneyland Paris and up to £100 off Hoseasons holidays for a last minute summer escape.

Simon Terry, managing director of DiscountVouchers.co.uk, says: “The summer holidays can be an expensive time for parents, but a bit of savvy shopping can make them much more affordable in terms of entertaining children at home or overseas. DiscountVouchers.co.uk is continually updating the site with new offers, so whether parents need DVDs and games, or savings on holiday clothing, the site features easy to search discounts in one place.”

All offers on DiscountVouchers.co.uk are updated in real time to ensure visitors get the latest summer holiday savings as they are launched. The result is an easy to use site that can quickly be searched by store name, latest deals, and most popular offers.

The site also features a growing range of savings at stores such as Boots, Currys, Debenhams, Heal’s, John Lewis, Play.com, and more.

To get the latest discounts and offers for summer visit www.discountvouchers.co.uk.
/ends.

The Secret To A Successful Children’s Party

What’s the one thing that children always remember about their birthday party?

The cake, of course!

The centrepiece at any celebration, the cake is one of the most important parts of planning a children’s party. Whether you are organising an event for toddlers or teens, Children’s Cakes & Party Ideas is the essential guide to making it a successful and memorable occasion.

This exciting new magazine is jam-packed with children’s party cake designs and inspiring ideas for themed parties. Other great features include recipes to keep little hands busy over the holidays, advice from the experts on how to plan the perfect party, and a selection of offers, discounts and giveaways for readers.

• Popular party themes such as Pirates, Princesses, Bugs & Butterflies, Party Animals and Under the Sea, as well as Baby Cakes for a christening
• How to throw a successful party
• Brilliant step-by-step celebration cake projects for each party, as well as an inspirational menu and ideas for themed decorations, activities, outfits and party bags
• Key cake recipes and decorating techniques covered
• Party food that you can easily make at home
• Tips from expert party planners and cake makers
• Time-saving ways to decorate a cake
• Special offers and prizes
• Children’s summer holiday projects

Children’s Cakes & Party Ideas is £5.99 and available now exclusively at WHSmith or online at www.squires-shop.com.

Shop online 24 hours a day at www.squires-shop.com or call the mail order department on 0845 22 55 671.

Parents 'blind' to sight damage in the sun

Parents who insist on sunscreen are doing nothing to protect children’s eyes.

With school holidays about to start and predictions of the best British summer for years, the sight charity Eyecare Trust is warning that the majority of parents are doing nothing to protect their children’s eyes from the sun’s harmful rays, putting them at risk of permanent sight damage and vision problems in later life.

Thousands of parents across the UK were questioned in a OnePoll survey carried out for the Eyecare Trust which revealed that while 79 per cent would normally insist that their children wear sunscreen outdoors, a massive 44 per cent rarely or never make sure that their children wear sunglasses. In the critical 0-8 year age group the figure rises to a worrying 48 per cent.

Although most people are aware that sun protection is vital for skin, our eyes are naturally ten times more sensitive to UV light and children are most at risk. Young eyes have bigger pupils and clearer lenses, allowing up to 70 per cent more UV light to reach the retina than in an adult’s eye. In fact, up to 80 percent of a lifetime’s UV rays will have been absorbed by a child’s eyes before the age of 18.

Eye damage from UV light is cumulative and irreversible and can lead to conditions such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration – Britain’s biggest cause of blindness. Rosie Gavzey, an optometrist and director of the Eyecare Trust, spells it out: “UV exposure in childhood lays down problems for later life. Our message to parents is simple, protect your children’s sight now or they could lose it later.”

It is especially important to protect children’s eyes when they are playing on the beach or by water where there is a lot of reflected light. “Ideally,” says Rosie, “all children – and adults – should wear good quality sunglasses and a hat with a peak or brim when spending time outdoors.”

Good quality sunglasses need not be expensive and the survey revealed that around 35 per cent of people who do buy sunglasses – either for themselves of for their children – get them in a department store. That’s fine as long as you know what to look for. Safe levels of protection against both UVA and UVB are essential and this is indicated by the European Standard CE mark or the British Standard BSEN 1836:1997.

Alarmingly, many parents admit to buying children’s sunglasses either from a street vendor or even a toy shop. In the London area, for example, the survey showed that 28 percent of children’s sunglasses were purchased from these sources. The problem here is that it’s very hard to know what you are getting and whether the glasses will filter out all the UVA and UVB rays. Tinted glasses which do not cut out UV can actually cause more damage because the dark lenses cause the pupil of the eye to dilate, allowing more UV light to enter the eye.

Children in particular need sunglasses that are comfortable and won’t fall off. Your optician will be able to advise on styles that offer the right level of protection, fit properly and are resistant to scratches – at no greater cost than other bona fide shops. Funky colours and designs are available for children and foam frames can be a good option for the very young. Close-fitting wrap-around styles are also a good idea as they cut out more stray UV light from the sides, above and below.

The Eyecare Trust has produced a Guide to UV protection available free from many high street opticians, or as a download from the Eyecare Trust website www.eyecaretrust.org.uk.

Apollo Blinds lead in child safety campaign

One of the UK’s largest suppliers of made-to-measure blinds, Apollo Blinds is using Child Safety Week (22nd June) to kick start a new campaign to encourage child safety in relation to the operating cords on window blinds.

Apollo Blinds commissioned research that found that nearly 90% of UK homes, where small children either reside or visit on a regular basis, do not have safety devices on blind cords and chains.

Apollo’s 75 stores throughout the UK and Ireland will be helping to heighten awareness about the potential strangulation hazard associated with blind hanging cords.

The move comes in the wake of recommendations by a Scottish Sheriff following the tragic death of a child in Scotland last year. His report stated that one of the biggest problems is the public’s lack of understanding of the potential risks with young children and blind cords.

Gary Chambers, general manager at Apollo Blinds, explained: “All of our made-to-measure blinds come with a safety warning sign attached to them to alert customers to the potential dangers of looped cords, but our research has highlighted more must be done to encourage parents to keep their home safe.

“So we’re working with our team of Apollo consultants at grass roots level to ensure all customers are aware of the ease and importance of fitting blinds without cords or using additional safety products, which in some cases can cost less than a standard fitting.”

The report estimates that every year a child loses their life as a result of looped blind cords and there are up to 20 near misses. Three children have died in the past 18 months.

EuroSafe, the European Association for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, said: “Window blinds/drapery cords are a strangulation hazard. Children become entangled in the pull cords or in the inner cords that are used to raise the slats of blinds. These entrapments can occur when a young child pulls on an inner cord and it forms a loop that a child can hang in." Fatality tends to occur when a child has fallen and got caught up in the loop.

Advice on RoSPA's website (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) calls for parents to prevent injury by making blinds safe. "Pull cords on curtains and blinds should be kept short and kept out of reach," they say. It also says that most accidents in the home are preventable through increased awareness, improvements in the home environment and greater product safety.

Apollo’s Gary Chambers added: “So that’s what we’re aiming for. We’re leading the industry with this – heightening awareness and making sure all parents know that there are a wide range of devices and operating methods to improve the safety of blinds and ensuring Apollo Blinds is compliant with new Euro norm standards (EN13120).”

Apollo Blinds’ Top Five Simple Safety Tips For Child Proofing Window Blinds, include:

1. Choose blinds without cords -

Apollo’s Easy Glide system for vertical blinds removes the risk of strangulation as it has no chain at all. Vertical blinds simply pull across and open and close all with the wand. What’s even better that this product is 10% cheaper than standard vertical blind fittings!

Apollo’s slider wand also has no cords at all and uses a pump action to open and close the blind, as well as tilt the slats. This comes in at £25.00 but is extremely neat and safe.

Use pleated or Duette blinds without a cord, which simply use push and pull handles to raise and lower it. Prices start at £70.08 for a 400mm x 600mm blind.

2. Tie it up - The Uni Wand is ideal for venetian blinds. The cords pass through the wand that’s used for tilting the slats, but hook on to the base of the wand when the blind is raised so they’re not left dangling - which again keeps hazardous cords away from small inquisitive hands and heads. The Uni-Wand is available from Apollo for £5.00 per blind.

3. Guard it! - Control-Guard Cord Safety Device is a low cost solution for increased child safety. This simple unit, suitable for roller, roman and vertical blinds, houses the operating chains and cords, and secures against the wall. Control-Guard costs just £10.00 per blind and is fitted on to a new blind.

4. Wind it up - As a retro fit option, use a Blind Cord Shortener device available from baby equipment suppliers such as the The Baby Catalogue for just £2.50. http://www.thebabycatalogue.com/Blinds-Cord/productinfo/K025... This winds the cord up and keeps it out of reach.

5. Cut the Cord - Whatever you do, don’t have a loop - simply Cut Window Blind Cords and use Safety Tassels to help prevent children from strangling in blind cord loops.

Apollo Blinds has also produced a new Child Safety brochure that focuses on how to manage the risks and safety features available.

Apollo’s experienced staff can offer more advice on safety tips and the best types of operation devices to fit to blinds, particularly if being fitted to children’s bedrooms on in homes where there are young children.

For more information and store details visit www.apollo-blinds.co.uk or call 0800 915 3030.