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Female Entrepreneurs Reveal Their Business Success

By Mum's the Word on June 7, 2013 in Guest Blogger

Being an entrepreneur is all about empowering yourself to create a business that’s right for you. It’s about facing up and rising to different challenges, overcoming the day-to-day demands, learning and planning for the future.

In a new campaign e-commerce specialists Alibaba are celebrating female entrepreneurs. They want to encourage women to realize their vision and head down the path of creating a thriving and successful business.

Starting your own company can be a daunting prospect, but listening to the stories of some of Alibaba’s successful customers can help show you how achievable it is. These stories show how, by overcoming the various challenges and with dedication, hard work, belief and ambition, you can reach your goals and realize any dream you want.

And now Alibaba wants to hear your inspirational stories too. If you’re a female entrepreneur they want you to submit your story and you could be in with the chance to win a mentorship from one of five successful businesswomen.

It’s a unique opportunity to learn from experienced entrepreneurs who have turned their ideas into business acumen. You’ll learn from some of the best so you can expand your business and make it even greater, achieving more than you thought possible.

Meet Kate Castle

Kate Castle’s story shows how you can create a business from the simplest idea and you don’t need a huge infrastructure to make it work. Being a mother of two children she noticed how, when out camping, going to the toilet in the middle of the night could be a problem. So she created Boginabag, a portable, lightweight toilet to meet these needs.

Even though she had no previous experience in how to turn something from an idea into a product, she got a product sketched out and then used Alibaba to find manufacturers and make her dream a reality. Now her business is growing into an international company — her story shows its possible to achieve whatever you set your mind to. She’s even inspired her kids to want to set up their own businesses too.

Meet Chelsea Abingdon Welch

Chelsea Abingdon Welch makes luxury designer watches for adventurous, high-flying women. At the age of just 19 she went about setting up her own business, challenging stereotypes to create a range of high quality aviation watches. She also runs a group that supports and celebrates female stunt pilots.

After initially learning to fly she noticed how all the guy pilots had amazing watches, which had all kinds of different functionalities. But she also noticed they only made them for men, so what did she do? She went out and produced a range for women, proving that there’s no point waiting for somebody else to do it when you can do it yourself.

Meet Li Su Ling

Li Su Ling runs a successful clothing company that she started back in 2003. With the simple goal of wanting to produce quality outdoor clothing she’s seen her business grow and grow. She puts her success down to hard work, striving for excellence and maintaining high production values so that her team have respect for the product and take pride in the work they do.

With this solid relationship with her employees, it ensures customer satisfaction, as they know they can trust the product and the people behind it. Li Su Ling’s story teaches us a valuable lesson about creating the right work environment to encourage the best from those around you.

Find out more and submit your own story here.

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Look and Feel Good in Ten Easy Steps

By Mum's the Word on March 7, 2013 in Guest Blogger

Do you feel in desperate need of a mummy makeover? Before you go under the scalpel, try getting back to the basics. These ten steps will help you rejuvenate not just your body but also your mind. And best of all, there’s no risk of having to make a medical negligence claim.

Ritualise your ‘me’ time. Block off a few minutes of your schedule each day to sit and relax. That’s it! Even if you only do it for five minutes after you wake up or before you go to sleep, having a pause can increase your focus and productivity, not to mention, your happiness.

Read a good book. Sometimes all you want is to get lost in a good story. Reading a book can help you do that. And unlike watching a movie, you can go a slowly as you want when you read.

Start a workout routine. Working out is a great alternative to cosmetic surgery, and it’s one that won’t have you worried about medical negligence laws. Whether it’s pilates for toning your muscles, running for trimming your waist or yoga for clearing your mind, regular exercise has physical and emotional benefits. And just twenty or thirty minutes a day is sufficient if you find it hard to make time for an hour-long workout.

Have a mani/pedi. If only for the foot and hand massage, every person needs a good manicure and pedicure every now and then. Small changes can make a big difference in your attitude, and getting a new coat of nail polish will make you
feel more attractive.

Invest in new accessories. Maybe you don’t have the time or money to go shopping for a new wardrobe, but just picking up a few pieces–such as a scarf or a new handbag–will make you feel like you’ve got new wardrobe options.

Overhaul the family diet. You are what you eat, so try to keep your diet healthy and clean. Stocking the refrigerator with more whole vegetables, fruits, grains and proteins will give you more energy and a youthful glow.

Have a date night. Don’t get caught up in the rat race of life. Remember to take time out for special evenings with your partner or your friends. Catching your girlfriends up on your life will give you a chance to process it yourself.

Start a journal. Writing down your thoughts before bed is an excellent form of therapy. It may also help you sleep better, too.

Make new friends. Introducing yourself to new people can help make you more aware of how great your life really is. So don’t be afraid to mingle in social settings; you just might meet your new best friend.

Love and live for the person you are today. Are you saving that size 6 pair of jeans for when you lose weight? It’s a phase that every mum goes through.

The important thing, however, is to try to be your best self in every moment–and to value that person in every moment, as well.

Commissioned Post

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The Healthy Approach to Getting Your Figure Back After Pregnancy

By Mum's the Word on February 27, 2013 in Guest Blogger, Sponsored Posts

One of the biggest things that can happen in your life is having a baby. Pregnancy changes everything, from your lifestyle and your priorities to your figure, but not all changes are welcome.

After having a baby, some women immediately rush to get back into shape and get their youthful body back, trying everything from extreme dieting to getting breast enhancement surgery. But is there a right and wrong way to do it?

The key to getting back into shape after having a baby is not to overdo it. This is crucial, as taking things too fast and pushing yourself too hard can be terrible for your health. Don’t put undue pressure on yourself by reading stories about celebrities who have lost their baby weight in six weeks. Not only do celebrities have personal trainers and all the time in the world to devote to losing weight and firming up, but they are also in an industry where looking a certain way is elevated to a ridiculous level of importance.

So, what should you be doing to bounce back after pregnancy? Follow these tips and you’ll reach your goal in a healthy and measured way (and you’ll still have the energy to enjoy time with your new baby):

Don’t try any extreme diets

Check with your doctor before starting any intense weight loss regime. Crash and extreme diets are not the healthy way to lose weight, and they could even trigger post-natal depression.

Start your new fitness regime with walking

Take the baby out and use the pram as a fitness tool, walking further and further each day. You’ll be amazed at the effect walking has at burning calories and improving muscle tone.

Tone your muscles and build your core strength

Supplement your walking with some light exercises to build your core strength and to tone your body. Do just a few minutes every day and you’ll soon start to notice big improvements.

Leave it six weeks before making any drastic changes to your lifestyle

In this time, you need all your calories (especially if you are breast feeding) and rest to help your body recover from giving birth. You’ll also need all your energy to keep up with the demands of your new baby.

You should also leave it a while before making any decisions about more drastic measures; have a good think before going ahead with a tummy tuck or a breast enlargement. Give your body time to settle down and yourself time to learn to love your new shape.

This is a Commissioned Post

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Fun Craft Ideas on a Shoestring

By Mum's the Word on February 22, 2013 in Guest Blogger

Are you looking for new ways to unplug your children from their favourite electronic devices and encourage them to use their creativity? Setting aside time for a family arts and crafts day can help you do it together. You don’t need to spend a fortune on costly art supplies to put together some fun crafts. The following are a few ideas using common household or recycled items.

Fun with Fashion

Most families have old clothes, scarves, or scraps of fabric lying about the house. You may have planned on donating these to charity, but you could also encourage your child to bring out her inner fashion designer. If there are old skirts or dresses that are made out of pretty fabrics, they could be cut horizontally to make an instant scarf. Old T-shirts can be decorated with great kids labels, stickers, buttons, or ribbons to give them new life.

Cheerful Gift Cards

Chances are that you have some loose buttons and colourful paper on hand. You could use these to create textured gift cards. Other materials to use could include glue, glitter, rubber stamps, UK name labels for children, and regular household markers or pens. Encourage children to draw a design of their choosing and send their final creations to friends or family.

Homemade Puppet Show

Do you have a couple of old cardboard boxes sitting at home? Use one as a stand and the other as a stage, cutting out a picture window from one side of it. You can hang curtains using scrap fabric and fashion puppets out of old socks or newsprint papier mache if you’re feeling ambitious. This activity can take up an entire rainy day if you get the whole family involved. Children can not only create their own puppet characters, but script and act out a full skit.

These are just a few ideas to turn the tedium of a rainy day into a day of family fun to remember, all without spending a dime.

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Advanced Kitchen Design Suitable For All Wallets

By Mum's the Word on February 11, 2013 in Guest Blogger

People who take pride in the way their home’s interior looks know that even if there’s one solitary appliance, piece of furniture or ornament that looks out of place, it can make spoil the design of any room. When it comes to designing a modern kitchen, you should make sure that whatever’s in there complements everything else, especially if you feel that a Tumble Dryer bought at appliancesdirect.co.uk is necessary after your old one broke down.

Electrical appliances are central to a kitchen’s appearance. If they look out of place, it can make the entire room look bad, but it’s possible to buy some that help to add something positive to its overall design. Most modern appliances, especially a Washing Machine found at appliances direct can help to make any kitchen look futuristic and cutting-edge, ideal for a modern, designer home that’s dominated by straight lines, vivid paintwork and shiny surfaces.

Many fridge freezers built today by some of the world’s biggest firms are built with style in mind as well as function. You can buy fridge freezers that are made with a stainless steel, chrome or black coating that would sit well in any futuristic kitchen, while it’s also possible to buy washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers that are made with similar materials that look like something from the distant future.

You might not think of appliances of being cosmetic, but they can really help to transform the appearance of any kitchen, no matter how big it is or what the design scheme may be. If you decide to buy some new smart appliances, maybe you’ll want to redesign your kitchen around your new purchase, making them centrepieces in your kitchen. If you’re buying new appliances, you should consider what you want your ideal futuristic kitchen to look like and then visualise whether the appliance you’re looking at will fit in with that look.

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Options for Balancing Work and Childcare

By Mum's the Word on February 8, 2013 in Guest Blogger

As a working mum finding balance from work, even if it’s just part time work, and finding childcare can be a challenge. Despite the obstacles, it is definitely a feasible situation. It takes some planning and making arrangements to ensure your children are properly cared for when you go to work. There are actually many child care options to help provide child care.

Some working mums are lucky enough to have family close by. This could be grandparents or siblings who can provide child care. Don’t always assume this is an option. Have an open and candid conversation first before securing this method of child care.

Play dates can be an option for child care. When working part time, you do have a bit more time left. You could host a play date on your day off freeing up partnering moms while they do the same for you when working. It’s also a great way to build social skills within your children as they can play with others of a similar age.

If your children are of school age, you may only need child care for short time after school concludes for the day. Many schools today have after school programs that provide activities after school for children whose parents have to work later. Youth centres within the community as well as community programs may be available for similar services. Generally, after school programs are free but other locations may charge nominal fees.

If you can afford it, perhaps a dedicated babysitter, nanny or au pair might be a better option. Sometimes with part time work, the services of these child care professionals can be shared between working mums, cutting the costs in half. Usually of the three, a babysitter is cheaper and may only want to work part time anyway.

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Enough consultants for everyone in the family at HCA Hospitals

By Mum's the Word on February 7, 2013 in Guest Blogger

Today, I’m hosting a guest post about private healthcare, in particular London private consultants.

London has long been recognised as a centre of excellence in medicine. HCA Hospitalshas six hospitals in the city which have some of the best patient outcome rates in the United Kingdom and are virtually free of MRSA. More than 700 London private consultants are thus employed, treating an extensive number of conditions ranging from the mundane to the most complicated.

Many consultants hold senior positions at eminent teaching hospitals, where the sterling work of HCA Hospitals is acknowledged: more than 3,000 consultants from these institutions submit patients to HCA hospitals. Patients from 127 countries have been treated, and consultants are experienced in meeting their cultural and dietary needs. Consultants can visit overseas hospitals.

HCA hospitals are leaders in many areas, including assisted conception, cancer, cardiac care, liver transplant, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, paediatrics and women’s health. HCA invests continuously, so its consultants can employ the most up-to-date technology. The Harley Street Clinic was the first in the country to use the CyberKnife system upon tumours and also has two RapidArc radiotherapy machines. St. Bartholomew’s Hospital has a Gamma Knife machine for the treatment of brain cancer.

In London, HCA hospitals outperform some of the best NHS acute hospitals.

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Guest Post: Getting Creative with a Teenage Bedroom Design

By Mum's the Word on February 5, 2013 in Guest Blogger

Having a comfortable and well-equipped bedroom to call your own as a teenager is hugely important. It’s during this tumultuous stage that young adults will have increasing amounts of school or college work to get on with, as well as an upped requirement for both privacy and a defined personal space.

With this in mind, parents of teens may have to face the prospect of their kids wanting to redecorate their rooms – whether that involves plastering painstakingly painted magnolia walls with posters to express their individuality, or indeed repainting the whole room an entirely different colour. Here are few tips on how to update a teenager’s bedroom with a few subtle changes, rather than a complete facelift.

Furniture

With a vast range of chests of drawers, wardrobes, beds and desks on offer, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Start by thinking out colour schemes or broader room themes, be it modern, retro or minimal, then browse through catalogues or online with this in mind.

Interests and hobbies

Once you have the furniture covered, the next step is topping off a furnished room with bits of character. First and foremost, it’s important to consider interests and hobbies. A young adult interested in film may want to hang vintage or iconic movie posters, so lamps and basic strip lights to accentuate this effect could be put to use well. Similarly, a rock music fan may want to wall mount a guitar or vinyl, so extra shelves or storage boxes to ensure that surfaces are not cluttered will help keep the room from feeling crowded.

Photos

Teenage years are packed with social activity: birthdays, parties, dates – all of which will lead to large quantities of photos being taken. A quick and very cost-efficient way to keep a room feeling up-to-date is displaying the photos in a creative way, be it with photo frames, modern looking pin boards or even arranging them on a wall interlaced by small LED wall lights.

Make it inhabitable

Finally, a room will at different times for a young adult be a place of study, relaxation, socialising with friends and down time, so plenty of options are needed for seating. Flexible solutions – like rugs, throws, bean bags and cushions – add to the inhabitable areas of the room without taking up too much space.

All of the above options are flexible, so you don’t need to make drastic changes to a room to transform its appearance – the next step is simply to convince your son or daughter!

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A Guide to Great Fitness Classes

By Mum's the Word on January 21, 2013 in Guest Blogger

Whether you’re new to the gym or a regular expert, one of the key ways to stay motivated through your exercise regime is to spice it up at regular intervals. Changing what you do in the gym has many benefits: increased enjoyment, working on different muscles or to different goals, overcoming a plateau. And one of the best ways to change your gym routine is to attend scheduled fitness classes.

Classes can have a lot of benefits for gym bunnies. Perhaps you’ve been hitting the treadmill hard for weeks but you can’t shift those last few pounds, or you’re not making the desired muscle gain. A couple of fitness classes a week can help you over those last few hurdles, and besides, they’re great fun and can encourage you to work harder to keep up with the instructor. Gym classes can bring out the competitor in anyone.

Zumba
We’ve all heard of Zumba Classes, the dance-based fitness workout. It fuses Latin dance moves with dance styles from around the world and loud, infectious bass-oriented music. The theory of Zumba is that you will be having so much fun you won’t realise how much exercise you are doing. Zumba claims to be able to burn up to 500 calories per hour – that’s some serious workout.

Body Pump
Keeping the energy high is a class such as Body Pump, which uses weights and resistance to burn fat and build muscle. Some ladies may be put off by the thought of building muscle, but they should remember that using barbells and weights does not automatically guarantee you a bodybuilding physique. In fact, regular weights workouts will help you become lean and powerful, not bulked up. Body Pump provides an all-over body workout and can burn anywhere from 400 to 600 calories per hour. All this with infectious rhythmic music to keep you motivated and keep you moving.

Body Combat
If you like your workout to be mental as well as physical and include a great stress-busting system, then Body Combat may be for you. This is a martial arts-based fitness class that not only teaches you some self-defence moves but puts you in great shape and allows you to punch and kick away all your aggression and stress. Don’t worry, you won’t be putting on a head guard and going toe to toe with your class-mates; Body Combat is strictly non-contact. That doesn’t stop you from burning up to 700 calories per hour, though.

Spin
And then, of course, there is Spin. The group cycling class that is well-known for being torture and yet highly addictive, Spin classes can burn up to a staggering 900 calories per hour as participants engage in a range of high-intensity exercises on the bike, including push ups on the bike handles, all whilst cycling at high speed and/or high resistance.

Gym classes are not all about speed and aggression, however. For the gym-goer who wants to focus on strength and flexibility, yoga classes are a great addition to their routine. Yoga comes in many different styles, much like dance or martial arts, but all of them focus on breath and balance. Yoga produces a strange combination of relaxation with invigoration and regular yoga practice can not only burn up to 200 calories per hour, but it can also have serious strength, flexibility and lean muscle-building benefits.

So, if your gym routine is getting a little stale or the thought of getting on that treadmill just no longer appeals, consider changing things up by attending gym classes instead or as well as your normal routine. You’ll soon find your enthusiasm returning.

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GUEST POST: How to prepare your home for winter – on a budget

By Mum's the Word on January 18, 2013 in Guest Blogger

With the coldest months of the year looming, you might be looking for cost-effective ways to safeguard your premises. Of course, finding the best boiler cover and home insurance deals will help, but what about carrying out a little DIY? Here are four money-saving tips to get your started:

Insulate your water pipes

Water pipes allow us to do the washing up, take showers and clean our clothes, but what would happen if they freeze and burst? Well, the excess water could cause severe damage to your property, so try to insulate your waterworks – before the temperatures plummet. One of the best ways to do this is to purchase foam strips with a slit down one side. These are relatively inexpensive to buy and sit tightly around a wide range of pipes.

Draught proof your home

Winters can get extremely chilly in the UK, so take the time to seal any gaps that might let in cold draughts. Self-adhesive foam strips work well around windows and doors, and decorators caulk can be used to stop winds blowing through the floorboards. While these products don’t cost the earth, you could be even thriftier by making your very own draught excluder. This can be decorated to match the interior design of your house, or you could create something fun like a sausage dog or snake.

Block up that chimney

If you decide not to get the fire going this year, make sure you block it up. This will keep cold winds out and ensure your house stays as warm as possible during the nippy spell. Fitting a cap over the chimney pot should do the trick, or you can buy a chimney balloon which will inflate to keep air out. If you find these options a little costly, however, filling the inside of the chimney with newspaper will also work – just remember not to light it.

Keep an eye on your condensate pipe

The condensate pipe carries condensation from your boiler to an outside drain. It can easily freeze in bad weather, so try putting a hot water bottle next to it in teeth-chattering conditions. This should stop the water inside from turning to ice and will hopefully prevent your boiler from breaking down. If you’re worried about the condition of the pipe, a boiler service could rectify the problem and save you a lot of bother in the future.

If the weather outside is frightful, protect your premises and stay warm and snug inside.