What are my options?

There are a host of treatments available to orthodontic patients today and you will have a choice of treatments, regardless of your orthodontic prescription. Some treatments are designed for minor or moderate issues, while others are suited to patients with more complex prescriptions; there are also other factors to take into consideration, including the cost of treatment, treatment time and your individual preferences. Your dentist will discuss your options once you they have examined your mouth thoroughly and had a chat with you about your treatment aims, your preferences and your budget.

You can get an array of discreet straightening treatments, including Invisalign, one of the most popular treatments in the world. In the UK we have some of the best Invisalign dentists in the UK and we have helped hundreds of patients to smile with confidence.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is an invisible aligner system, which uses a series of custom-made, removable aligners to guide the teeth into position. The aligners are made from very thin, light clear plastic, which makes them very comfortable and almost invisible to other people. The aligners are worn for 2 weeks and then replaced with the next in the series until the teeth are beautifully straight; they should be taken out to eat, drink and brush the teeth. Invisalign is a great choice for anyone who wants straighter teeth and better tooth alignment without the hassle or worry of wearing unsightly metal braces.

Other popular options

Other popular options for patients looking for a discreet orthodontic solution include Clearstep and Simpl5, which are very similar to Invisalign and lingual braces. Lingual braces are fixed to the backs of the teeth, rather than the front, meaning that they are completely invisible when you smile; popular lingual brace systems include Incognito and STb Social 6.

Avast me hearties! I’m here to tell you about the amazing benefits of throwing a themed party for your child’s birthday – and not just any themed party. Forget princesses, Spiderman or dinosaurs; pirate is the way to go, and I’m going to explain how you can throw the best pirate-themed party that will have your child and all of their friends swash-buckling for weeks afterwards!

The brilliant thing about the pirate theme is that it’s accessible to both boys and girls. There’s no pink-and-blue division here – everyone can come dressed equal and enjoy the same games, characters and decorations. Tell gender to walk the plank and have a non-prejudiced party for your son or daughter!

So what do you need to do to achieve the perfect pirate party?

Decorate: You basically need to transform your house into a pirate ship – no big deal, right? It’s easier than it sounds! Make a few skull and crossbones out of painted cardboard to hang above the front door so parents find the right house (click here to find out how to make one!) while finding a Jolly Rodger to hang in the hall! A treasure chest can easily be created out of a picnic basket or sewing box, and by wrapping a few of your child’s building blocks in gold and silver paper, you can create bars of gold and silver. A few plastic jewels dotted around the place and swash buckles will all help to create the right effect.

Games: At some point after the children have all arrived, compared costumes, and got their temper tantrums out of the way, it’s time to play some pirate themed games. Obviously a treasure hunt always goes down a treat. Create a treasure map out of a sheet of A4 paper – by staining it brown with a teabag and making jagged cuts along the edges, you can create an old look. Give the kids clues to lead them around the house and ‘bury’ some treasure for them to find – and we all know a child’s greatest treasure is chocolatey treats! You could also play games to decide who talks the best pirate language – this website’s great if you want to brush up on your arrrghhh’s: www.piratetreasurenow.com/pirate-phrases.htm

Food: Speaking of edible treats, you need to think about what food you’re going to supply. Obviously pirates weren’t known for their culinary finesse so you’re going to have to improvise on this – rename a lot of ordinary food to become pirate food – chicken drumsticks can be seagulls’ legs, while Scotch eggs can be barnacles – that kind of thing. You can also opt for a few different pirate-themed food accessories to hype up the pirate theme – companies like Party Care supply candles, cupcake holders and cake trays all bearing pirate faces and patterns. Check out their website: www.partycare.co.uk/birthday-cake-decorations.html

Once you have these three things sorted, the only thing left to do is to find the right costume for you and your child. You could do the home-made version – a belted t-shirt with cut-off pyjama bottoms. Or you and your partner could go the whole hog and order fancy dress, which let’s face it is more impressive. Websites like Bryony Theatrical have a wide range of pirate fancy-dress, from Captain Hook to Jack Sparrow: www.bryonytheatrical.co.uk. Once you’re costumed and everything’s in place, there’s only one thing to do – hoist the flag!

Here’s a few top tips to tire out the tots, or at least keep them occupied so they don’t tire you out:

1, In the Home –

I’ve heard it a hundred times: you can’t get anything done with the kids about. This doesn’t have to be the case.

Young tots (under four years old)

Involving the children in household tasks can actually save time…and tantrums. Thus, if you need to hover, involve younger children. One idea as to how is to invest in a bag of ‘ball pool balls’. Spill the balls about the room or area you’re hovering, the balls are too big to hover up, child safe, big enough to find easily (hence, mess free), and fun, colourful things to hunt for. Ask your tot to help you by finding them all and putting them back in their bag. For each ball your tot puts back give a simple ‘yay! Well done!’ or clap if your tot looks to your for a reaction.

Older kids (four plus)

Older children may raise an eyebrow instead of a smile at the thought of collecting ball pool balls. Instead, speak to them on their level. They’re children, not aliens; explain what you need to do and why.

If they are not happy to play alone for any length of time, what I used to fall back on was something like, ‘I need to hoover. I hate hoovering, as you know. So please would you take your crayons / building blocks and make me something and when I’ve finished you can cheer me up?’

Children old enough to not fall for this tip, in my books, are old enough to get washing up. Mention that to them. Most kids, in my experience prefer drawing to cleaning!

Alternatively, for more ‘at home’ activity ideas, try the Stay at Home Mom Survival Guide.

2. Days Out –

If you live in England then taking the kids out, even in summer, can mean bringing them back drenched, windswept, frost bitten and often covered in mud, rain or goose bumps. Consequently, when I cared for my friend’s children, I regularly took them to in-door play groups and play sessions.

Nowadays, soft play centres, such as Snakes and Slides which is a play centre in Bury, have conveniently popped up in most towns. Unlike the old (and often cold), make-shift church halls, soft play centres provide children with somewhere (indoors) where they can run, jump, rolly-polly and otherwise whizz and hop about without being told to mind that lamp , calm down or that the dog isn’t a climbing frame.

What’s more, while the kids are racing about and interacting with other kids, us oldies can grab a coffee in comfort and warmth. The space and facilities most play centres offer too, being relatively modern, are often first-rate. Without meaning to sound like a grumpy oldie, this means that I can sit and enjoy watching the kids play and explore uninterrupted. While I’m not averse to a good old chat with other parents and the likes, sometimes it’s just lovely to watch the kids hop and pop about, knowing they’re warm, safe and not going to break my favourite vase!

If you come home from work or holiday to find the front door kicked in and your belongings ransacked, it’s natural to feel vulnerable and upset. Reactions vary- while some are solely concerned with the stolen goods, others no longer feel safe in their homes, particularly children. Consider it from their perspective: children hate upset and change, and nothing can be more bewildering than the thought of strangers forcing their way into their home. They may feel as though nowhere is safe.

Let the feelings pass. They’re normal. Once you’ve come to terms with the shock, it’s time to be practical: how can you compensate for the loss? How can you ensure this doesn’t happen again?

The police will have allocated you a crime number. Keep hold of it- you’ll need it when you’re dealing with your insurance company. If you’ve had any credit cards taken, ring their emergency hotline and have them cancelled. Check your documents, too- if passports or driving licences have been stolen, you should report that immediately.

Now you’ve an idea of the full extent of the theft, make a list. Include everything you can remember about the items- when they were bought, the original price. Dig out receipts where you can. This might seem coldblooded in a time of great stress, but it’s only what the insurance company is likely to ask you. Indeed, before getting in touch with your insurance provider, it’s worth researching the subject to give them as little reason to reject your claim as possible. As Moneywise explains, even an honest mistake can lead to a claim being repudiated on grounds of “non disclosure.” You should give one copy of your list to your insurer and another to the police.

Once you’re sure of all your facts, contact your insurance. Make sure you know exactly what’s going on and ask plenty of questions: what’s the procedure for recovering your property, if any? Will they be working with the police? Will anybody be coming to verify the loss? Guarantee you have all the right forms and fill them out correctly- seek help if you find filling in forms difficult.

Keep records of every conversation you have: the name of the advisor, the date and time of the call, what you talked about. Although it’s often claimed that calls are being recorded for quality purposes, it’s relatively easy for them to slip through the net. Try not to get angry or flustered; while it may seem as though they’re being overly personal or insensitive, they’re just trying to do their job. It might be that you live in one of the UK’s burglary hotspots, as revealed by the Independent earlier this year. If you live at a vulnerable postcode (Leeds, Bradford, North Finchley), they may have been advised to proceed with caution.

While you can’t go back in time, you can make it extremely difficult for thieves to make a second attempt on your home. Read up on home security; don’t leave a single t uncrossed and i undotted. If your garden was previously easy to access, secure your gate and surround it with noisy, off putting gravel. Install an alarm system- preferably visible to act as a deterrent.  Going from past experience, an audible alarm is far more effective (and certainly less irritating!) than their motion sensitive equivalent. Employ the services of a company such as Locks Express, one of the most reliable locksmiths in the North West.  When a work colleague was burgled early last year, she was impressed by their attention to detail- not only did they secure all the locks around her house and replace the keys, they also replaced the doors and double glazing damaged by the break in.

It will take time to return to normal. Negotiations with the police and insurance company might seem like yet more trouble in a hectic world. Yet if it means your family and home are secure in the future, a little bit of inconvenience now is worth it.

It’s time we moved away from thinking of your kid’s room as ‘time out’ or simply somewhere to sleep and started thinking big. Where can they play? Where can they create? Where can you give them the tools to make this possible?

A good place to begin is by giving it an overhaul. This should happen in any case every few years- I was mortified whenever I had friends round and they saw my Snatch the Dog decor in all its twee glory. (Though possibly that’d be fetchingly retro now).  Seeing how expensive wallpaper, furniture et al can be, how can you do it without going bust? How can you avoid your kid turning around in two years’ time and saying, “Mum, I’ve gone off it!”

Never fear! Here are 4 fail proof tips to give your kid a rocking bedroom…

1)  Likes, not crazes!

Remember: the average kid is a fickle creature, swayed by whatever the cool kids at school do. It might seem a charming idea to adorn the walls with Pokemon (or whatever he’s into at the moment), but will he still be such a fanatic in a year’s time?

Consider your kid’s long term interests. Does she love ballet? Is he interested in space? What are their favourite colours?

It’s sometimes claimed that your personality is fixed by the age of seven. I know I’ve  haven’t changed dramatically twenty years later. So if your daughter wants to be the next Kylie now, chances are she’ll still be interested in singers and showbiz for the years to come.

2)  Funky furniture

Kids of all ages (that includes grown up ones!) love wacky furniture. Draught excluders that look like snakes, squashy bean bags, crazy rugs, clocks with faces. They’re also pragmatic- they’d rather have furniture that does something.

Never has this been truer than of shelves and cupboards. It’s not enough that it holds their toys, books and clothes- they’ve got to look interesting too. Holdalls that look like tepees, geometric shelves. Make sure it doesn’t date quickly so the kid can carry on using them.

Tescos is a terrific place to go for shelving solutions. Whether the pretty (the much loved Disney Princesses) or the witty (a box that looks like a skip), there’s something for every taste.

3)   Budget!

Shopping on a shoe string needn’t be a bore. Indeed, with creativity and verve, it can be fun. Do you have some cute fabric languishing in a drawer? Turn it into a blind! Do you have any old paints or wallpaper samples lying around the house? See what you can make out of them! Even the shabbiest old bits of furniture can be transformed with a bit of love: paint them a new colour, change the cushions etc.

Stencils are a superb technique of decorating a room without breaking the bank. Since few of us are Michelangelo, it’s also the easiest way to paint a pattern or beloved children’s character. And there’s nothing saying it’s limited to walls- give the aforementioned old furniture a new lease of life.

Henry Donovan Motif Designs is a brilliant resource for stencils for every kind of home decor; check it out!

4)   The Land of Counterpane

Saving the most important thing till last! Beds are vital- not only can you sleep in them, they generally serve the role of lounger, desk, desert island or whatever imaginary scenario your kids come up with. It stands to reason that as the most crucial piece of furniture it should be attractive as well as comfortable.

Bearing this in mind, it’s best to have a bed that will last and your kid won’t quickly outgrow. Just Sleep Beds, an outlet selling cheap beds in Liverpool, offers a fantastic range of kids’ beds- from the quirky (beds that look like race cars!) to the practical (sturdy bunk beds). Pair this with their cracking accessories and you’ll have a bedroom fit for a princess (or princess).

It goes to show: making over your kid’s room needn’t be daunting. With your little one aiding the process every step of the way, it can be enlightening and fun!

If you’re choosing a new pet for your family, it’s sometimes tempting to bow to peer pressure. Kids are intensely receptive, often going for a breed for no reason other than “I saw one on the telly” or “my friend Robyn’s got one.” Indeed our own criteria is often based on appearance rather than character.

Dogs aren’t just four legged accessories but part of the family. Since this relationship is likely to last for ten or more years, surely you want to guarantee it’s the perfect fit?

Choosing a Dog

Since it’s a family decision, you should all put in your tuppenceworth. Dog ownership isn’t just something you can pick up and put down but a full time commitment. Are you prepared to budget to buy the dog’s food every week? Can one of you go home at lunchtime and spend time with it? Are you willing to give it as many walks as it needs (generally three a day, but it depends on the breed?) Avoid drawing up a rota or anything that gives it the appearance of being a chore- you don’t want any members of the family to resent the new arrival, however subconsciously.

Now it’s time to move onto the specifics. Look around you. How big is your house- would you be able to take dogs over a certain size? A flowing, glossy coat might look stunning in commercials, but have you the time to give such a dog the grooming it needs? What about your family’s health- do any of your kids suffer from allergies? While there is still no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog, some are much better in this respect than others.

Select.Smart  offers an incredibly detailed Dog Selection quiz, bringing up points you might not previously have considered. Would you want your pet to be an effective guard dog? If you’re house proud, could you really put up with one that sheds a lot of hair?

When I took the test, the results were chiefly terriers- no coincidence, since they’ve always been my favourite type of dog. My ideal dog would be lively, intelligent, enjoy walks but not be hyperactive, be sociable and not shed or slobber. If you’re looking for a family dog, you’d want to factor in compatibility with children and other pets as well.

Kids and Dogs

It’s natural for a kid to be excited by the new family member. Yet you have to remember that mannerisms which you find cute or funny in your kid might not be perceived as such by a dog. Even the smallest kid is larger than many dogs, and if the kid behaves in such a way to make the dog feel threatened, it may well provoke the dog’s temper. The earlier the kid’s made to see things from the dog’s perspective, the better.

Is your child a bit of a foghorn? Do they have a tendency to invade people’s personal space? Do they keep picking up your dog and hauling it around even though you’ve told it several times not to?

Quite recently I was sitting in the park, watching the world go by. A little boy was left to mind the family dog- he couldn’t have been more than four. I have rarely felt so angry- first that a small child was given a much older one’s responsibility, then at the way the kid was treating the dog. He wouldn’t stop poking it and at one point even tried to sit upon it (the dog being a Jack Russell). I’ve never wanted to intervene so badly, but knew I’d only be told to mind my own business.

For further advice, read this blog by Dr Sophia Yin, an animal behaviour specialist.

Training

Dogs aren’t saints and it’s wrong to expect them to be. Even the most placid can occasionally have outbreaks of naughtiness- my friend’s elderly boxer regarded anything in a bag as ‘his’, and decorate the room with it (most memorably a sack of potatoes).

If you want your new pet to rub along comfortable with the rest of the family, dog training is a must. Not only will it cure it of such undesirable tendencies as jumping up and doing its own thing out on a walk, it’ll help curb its aggressive tendencies. Ideally you should begin as soon as possible; organisations such as Clever Dog Company offer excellent puppy training classes in a relaxed environment, encouraging the dog and owner to have fun and bond as they learn.

My friend’s dog Oscar was an infuriating little pest when she first bought him. Noisy, wilful and a real attention hog- he hated it if you paid any attention to Lady, the dignified older dog. Having gone through an intensive program, he’s still an extrovert, but an endearing one. It’s nonsense to suppose that curing them of “naughtiness” will rob them of character.

Your son or daughter probably isn’t going to remember their first birthday, but that does not mean that their first year on earth is not worth celebrating. In fact, my mother once described my first birthday as my most important in her eyes and therefore most stressful because she knew in years to come it’d be down to her, family and a scrap book of photos and stories to tell me all about it. For me, my mother’s feelings about my first birthday were a novel way to think of it which lead me to consider what I might do for my own daughter’s first birthday.

Every party needs invites, especially when the birthday girl (or boy, as the case may be) isn’t yet articulate enough to invite their nearest and dearest. For a lot of people invites refer to a stack of pink or blue written slips filled like paperwork over the course of an afternoon. This doesn’t have to be the case. There’s a couple of ways, I can think of, to approach party invitations.

You can inject some excitement into the hand-written invitation in two ways; you can make you own to give your party invites that added special touch or you can splash out on some especially well designed invites like those I opted for from www.partycare.co.uk. I chose to buy invites because, personally I’ve no artistic flair (cake making aside). Party Care were able to supply all my party bits and bobs, actually; they stock some brilliantly kooky fancy dress costumes for the older kids and have a section dedicated to baby’s first birthday supplies…not to mention cake decorating supplies too. Perfect!

Which leads me on to the second thing you’ll need for the perfect baby’s first birthday party…a baby.  Ok, seriously though, number two on the list is the cake. Have you thought yet whether you intend to buy or make baby’s cake?

Now, cakes are where I come into my own. I can’t wait for baby to be old enough to show her the pictures of the cake I made her, but I still had a lot to think about . I made and decorated baby a Moomin cake. Its creation required supplies though. If you’re working to a tight budget, be warned, making your own cake can appear a cheaper option, but if you’re intending on using coloured icings and cake decorations, expenses can quickly escalate. Hence, purchasing a cake can actually cut costs, half the stress and guarantee you get the result you want. A popular alternative to making your own cake is the ‘photograph cake’, available from most  ASDA supermarkets.

Being baby’s first birthday, many families choose not to bother with a theme. It’s understandable and more than likely that your adorable toddler-to-be is only going to fill that fairy costume with cake anyway. Theme or not, you can’t escape decorations though. Have you thought about balloons, table cloths, bunting?

Personally, I did opt for a theme and fancy dress. While my little bundle of trouble might not appreciate being wrapped up in ribbon and crinkly wings, her older cohorts certainly did. So, I turned to the good people at NetMums to help me to come up with ideas that would compliment my Moomin cake and eventually decided on an ‘Enchanted Forest’ theme. We painted trees on lining paper, cut them out and stuck them about the house. We devised games, such as ‘pin the berries on the bramble bush’ and stuck (soft) sweets to the trees so the kids could pick them like fruit. Plus, keeping a theme somewhat vague allows guests the freedom to think up their own ideas and get the older kids involved too. We had ‘forest pirates’, fairies and even a hedgehog turn up.

The last thing I did in preparation for my daughter’s birthday party was both the most boring and the most important –safe guard your house. You will never have enough cocktail sausages and cake to stop the little ones from trying to chew their way through, well, whatever they can. Also, with all the dancing and general bopping about both the kids and adults were doing by mid-afternoon our mahogany armchair arms could’ve presented a real hazard, had we not thought to move the furniture to the edges of the room and create space for everyone.

Another ‘health and safety’ issue we faced was allergies. There will always be at least one little one with a food or bubble mixture allergy. Find out, before you begin writing shopping lists, who likes what and who might swell up at the sight of peanuts. During children’s parties, there will always be moments in which not every child is being watched too closely. I don’t mean to scare anyone, but it’s just the truth of the matter. A moment is all it takes. Hence, I found the best way to avoid a birthday blowout (or worse) was simply to omit any food stuffs which figured on the allergy list. You’re going to have enough to contend with come the party, don’t add ambulances to the list.

And last but not least, have fun, get involved and worry about jam stains tomorrow!

She’d spent years getting excellent grades, revising different types of entrance exam (I glimpsed at the questions and nearly died) and racking up endless hobbies. Acting, dancing, crafts, even a brush with judo … If it’s an afterschool club, Emmy will join it. I can’t imagine where she finds the energy.

So when we finally had the results- a pass with flying colours- we shrieked and leaped around, passersby looking on bemused. Yes! The beginning of the rest of her life!

That’s reckoning without the uniforms.

In the past I’ve been all for them; looking over this Health Guidance article on the pros and cons, I found myself nodding in agreement. Who wants their kids to be jealous of other kids’ clothes, or teased because their parents aren’t wealthy? And if your kid keeps wandering off (Emmy did it all the time when she was little), you can pick them out of a crowd.

So yes. I liked uniforms. They were a good institution. They could stay.

Perhaps I’m naive. I, my mum, my nan- everybody in my family back to the year dot- went to comprehensives. To us, a school uniform consisted of a skirt, jumper and blazer. But what on earth were these? Boaters? Trilbies? Blue Aertex knickers?

I’ve never seen Emmy look so crestfallen. “I’ll look like a pillock, Mummy,” she said.

I grew up reading Malory Towers and St Clare’s, so they didn’t seem nearly as bizarre to me. If it had been the Hogwarts uniform she’d have been thrilled- but then Harry Potter doesn’t walk past the bus route every morning.

My heart stopped dead when I saw the prices. £100 for a blazer!!!

I stared at it, willing it to be a typo. But no- they seriously thought I, or any other self respecting parent, had a hundred pounds to spare! Shell shocked, I rang round everybody else I knew with a kid at the Grammar. Yes, that exorbitant amount was right. Yes, I was expected to dig into my own pockets.

I hopped online, praying for a miracle. Surely somewhere would sell the uniforms at a sensible price, preferably second hand? Cue protests from Emmy- “I can’t wear a second hand uniform!” Can’t please anyone.

At least I’ve company in my disbelief. Since my dilemma, BBC News  have reported that uniforms are getting prohibitively expensive; the OFT are starting to put their oar in. Good for them, though a few months too late for me.

What on earth was I going to do? A hundred pounds was an enormous chunk out of the household budget. I couldn’t afford it for another three months- and Emmy was due to start school in less than four weeks.

There was nothing left for it. After asking friends for advice, they pointed me towards Speedy Dosh. I hadn’t used them before but I knew they offered very reasonable rates- and, most importantly, same day loans. It was amazingly straightforward. After requesting £100, they sent me the documents and pin number to log into the account. The money arrived in my account in a matter of hours.

So catastrophe was averted! Emmy still isn’t 100% sure about the uniform (“I look like my head’s stuck in a bowling ball!”) but she’s settled in and doing well. After a shaky start, I know we’ve made the right choice for her.

Before people think this is one of those “A funny thing happened on the way to the forum” anecdotes, hear me out. She and some likeminded friends want to start an all female Shakespeare company. She was invited to an actress’s workshop, where the same themes kept coming up. The women felt they had to choose between being a mum and being an actress; that there was no possibility of being both.

Then something wonderful happened. Maggie Fox, one half of award winning comedy duo Lipservice, said that being a mum shouldn’t be an impediment to following your dreams- indeed, she and Sue (her comedy partner) had deliberately planned their job around their families. Since the girls have been performing since 1985, she knows what she’s talking about.

So if you’re a mum who’s looking for a new job and going nowhere fast, or one who’s struggling to juggle the one she has with her home commitments, use Maggie as inspiration …

Start a business!

It’s official: it’s never been easier to start your own business. Think about it. In which other circumstances would you be able to work from home, plan your schedule, spend an entire weekend with your kids?

Sounds appealing, doesn’t it?

Work on your business plan. What are you selling? Who is your intended market? Will you be able to get funding?

Go to all the workshops you possibly can. Where possible, study for a business qualification through the OU or Learn Direct. Research the business themed websites and magazines. If by this time you have a strong idea you’re confident other people will buy into, go for it!

Don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by legalese. Businesses such as Formations Direct offer company registration services for extremely reasonable prices. Their basic package guarantees the same or next day formation, grants full trading ability, gives you after sales support as well as a free guide to running a business … A terrific deal, I think you’ll agree!

Publish an e-book!

The literary establishment may sneer but they’re in the minority. The meteoric rise of the e-book has led to previously unknown authors becoming household names.

Before you pull that dusty old manuscript out of a drawer, there are a few things to consider. Yes, you might possibly be sitting on an overnight success, but you’re far likelier to earn around £40-50 a month.  And just because it’s self published doesn’t mean you can eschew niceties such as spelling, punctuation and (whisper) a plot. Get second, third, even fourth opinions. If you bung it straight on without any input, the one and two star reviews will come as a painful shock.

Since e-publishing is still very much uncharted waters, do thorough research. Which company do you want to publish with? Do you want to publish it as a print book in the future? Where can you get a decent quality free review?

For further details, read this TechHive blog.

Start a blog!

It might sound crazy, but starting your own blog is the perfect marriage of the aspirations already discussed. If you haven’t the patience or capital to start a business, can’t write a novel but have plenty to say, you might have found your vocation!

The great thing about the Net is its democracy. You don’t have to be a celebrity for people to take an interest in you. All it requires is passion and industry. Take Julie Powell, an ordinary American stuck in a job she loathed. She’d always loved the TV chef Julia Child, so- in a flash of inspiration- decided to cook every one of the 524 recipes in Child’s cookbookMastering the Art of French Cooking.

How do we know about this? Julie kept a blog charting the ups and downs of her quest. It became an Internet sensation – and then a film, Julie and Julia. While I’m not suggesting your blog will be made into a film starring Meryl Streep, consider the possibilities!

If you want a few ideas for writing a fantastic, readable blog, try this article on About.com.

Almost twenty years ago now, my 8^th birthday party involved my older brother using our mother’s make-up and father’s old clothes to dress like a clown and make my school friends cry. Meanwhile, my mother spent all morning skewing cocktail sausages and cubes of cheese only for us kids to then remove the cocktail sticks and attempt to stab each other, leaving a trail of uneaten finger-food in our wake.

Back when I was a kid there were few options and almost all of them involved DIY and papier-mâché . Even at a time when fancy dress was customary, such as Halloween, your mum would simply sit you down and ask if you’d like to be a witch, ghost, black cat or pumpkin for the more ambitious parent, as I remember. Costumes were limited, not by imagination, but certainly by time constraints, money and artistic ability on your parents’  behalf. Now, come Halloween, or birthdays, or even Christmas, I see friends’ children dressed as everything from Yoda to Willie Wonka. There is a vast choice of children’s fancy dress  available for hire these days, such as that offered by Fun and Games Direct.

With the popularity of trick-or-treating waning in recent years due to concerns over safety and the all the horror stories told in the newspapers, such as The Guardian, the party really has come into its own. Long gone are the days when Halloween meant ripping a ‘head-hole’ in a black bin-bag, placing a plastic cone on a kid’s head and telling them they were a witch before sending them out to bother neighbours for sweets. And while I must admit I was initially sad to see the lack of kids tottering around the street with bed sheets over their heads, turning up to a party at which a baby has arrived dressed as Elvis Presley does go in some way to alleviate my grief.