15 Ruff ’n’ Tumble Christmas Shopping Guide Gift Ideas For Your Loved One’s

Enhance your felicitation this Season with Ruff ’n’ Tumble’s novelty gift cards. They are a special way to connect emotionally with your little loved ones. The gift cards are available in 5k, 10k, 20k and 50k denominations. Stylish & Playful Christmas Looks

Mini me Classics

Dont forget My Christmas Dress

Little Boy With Swag

Playful Christmas

Roses For Christmas

Mini Fahlz for the Bahd Guy

Ready For Santas Visit

Chritsmas Carol Ready

For Happy and Sweet Little Girls

Casual Look For Cool Boys

Little Party Starer

Little Snow White

Twinkly Ballerina’s

Twinkly Toes

For more information, kindly contact Ruff ’n’ Tumble at customercare@ruffntumblekids.com, 08024613263, 07046331409 or visit any Ruff ’n’ Tumble store to learn more.

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Day Twenty-Four of the 25 day LagosMums giveaway is courtesy of  The Little Big Kid Company, they sell children’s toys. They will be giving away a 10,ooo Naira voucher which can be used to purchase items from their store. The store is located at Plot 20B, Aare Adedeji Okunubi Street Off Oladimeji Alo Str, 3rd Roundabout Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

Contest Rules

What would your child love for Christmas. Follow @LagosMums and @thelittlebigkidcompany and Tag #LMGiveaway.

Steps for Eligibility to Win

• Follow the contest rules on the LagosMums website or across our social media platforms.
• A winner will be chosen at random and announced on the website and social media
• The Winner will be required to pick the gifts or receive gifts with proper identification.

Our Online Hamper is almost over this year!! Tis the season to be merry!!!

For more information you can visit their website on www.mylittlebigkid.com

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The long awaited and anticipated Star Wars sequel is now showing in cinemas near you (after making us wait all these years!). It has been approximately 10 years since the last Star Wars film was released: The Revenge of the Sith. Now after a very very very long wait, its finally here, fully packaged and loaded with lots of excitement to make sure your eyes are glued to the screen. Why not take your kids out for a special treat to the cinemas nearest to you today!

The below are Cinemas that are currently airing Star Wars- The Force Awakens, and their viewing times.

Genesis Deluxe Cinemas – Lekki
1st Floor, The Palms Shopping Centre, Off British School Way, Lekki, Eti Osa, Lagos
Tel: 018436190

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Day Twenty-Five of the 25 day LagosMums giveaway is courtesy of Grey Velvet stores. They will be giving out a 25,000 Naira voucher to purchase items from their store. Their stores are located at Ikeja City Mall, Alausa, Ikeja and Centro Lekki Mall, Admiralty way, Lekki Phase 1 in Lagos.

Contest Rules

What are some of your 2016 goals. Follow @LagosMums and @greyvelvet (twitter) @greyvelvetfashionretail (instagram)  Tag #LMGiveaway.

Steps for Eligibility to Win

• Follow the contest rules on the LagosMums website or across our social media platforms.
• A winner will be chosen at random and announced on the website and social media
• The Winner will be required to pick the gifts or receive gifts with proper identification.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!!! 

For more information visit the Grey Velvet website | facebook.com/greyvelvetfashionretail

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The final day of the 25 day LagosMums giveaway for 2015 is courtesy of WakaNow. They will be giving out a free child’s ticket for travel anywhere in West Africa. Its a wrap! our 25 Days of giveaway this year has featured some fantastic gifts. We do this because we love making our #LagosMums (and kids) smile!

Contest Rules

Tell us which West African Country you would like to visit. Follow @LagosMums and @wakanowdotcom and Tag #LMGiveaway.

Steps for Eligibility to Win

• Follow the contest rules on the LagosMums website or across our social media platforms.
• A winner will be chosen at random and announced on the website and social media
• The Winner will be required to pick the gifts or receive gifts with proper identification.

For more information, check out their website – www.wakanow.com

Thank you to all our participants and all our wonderful sponsors without whom we could not do this!!!

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2016 Ready…  Set… GO!!!

What a year 2015 has been! This time last year crude oil – Nigeria’s main source of income – was about $60 per barrel, FX was N168 to the US Dollar, another political party was at the helm of affairs in government and if you happened to travel abroad, you didn’t have to worry too much about taking foreign currency cash with you because you could just use your Naira MasterCard/Visa debit card to make payments offshore.

Fast forward to today and it’s a very different story. Crude oil is less than $40 per barrel, officially it is N200 to $1, daily foreign currency transaction rates on Naira denominated cards have been slashed, banks aren’t accepting foreign currency cash so people and companies have resorted to buying ‘inflows’ at anywhere from N240 to N260 per dollar. Because we are such an import dependent economy, naturally the cost of living has gone up and pretty much almost all your budget and savings plans have practically gone up in smoke.

2016 – The Big Picture

According to industry experts, there won’t be dramatic changes in the economy as oil prices are projected to remain below $60 per barrel on average with the government benchmarking its budget at crude oil price below $40 per barrel. Our economy is at the very early stages of turning around, so the government is also going to look at increasing internally generated revenue which means taxes will go up.

What does this mean for you in 2016?

2016 will be a time to look seriously at protecting your current income and creating additional streams of income because if taxes are increased and there is a further devaluation of the Naira as the analysts are expecting, things are likely to remain tight for a while. You can’t afford to be a bystander in the coming year, you have to put in place a well thought out financial plan to succeed.

How do you put a plan in place?

Net-worth calculation: The first step you should take in having a financial plan is to calculate your net-worth: how much do you have in the bank, can you clearly identify your different forms of assets and how much do you owe? Check your spending: Once you’ve calculated your net-worth, look inwards and critically re-evaluate what you really need to spend money on. If you go to work, why not take food from home? Spending N500 a day on snacks for instance adds up to N10k per month or N120k every year.  Maybe car pool with your neighbor if you’re going in the same direction so you save on petrol? You’ll be surprised how these ‘little’ expenses add up.

Create new sources of income

An unfortunate side effect of high operating cost environment is that companies will also look to reduce costs and as such downsizing in a lot of sectors is almost inevitable. If you’ve been affected by this don’t despair and don’t get stuck on getting another job. Think of how to create income and put a structure around it. Creating an additional stream of income even if you still have a job also helps you match a source of income to your expenses e.g. school fees, holiday trips, etc.

In addition if you have expenses in foreign currency (e.g. school fees or a mortgage) you very quickly need to start thinking of export services/products you can engage in that can generate the FX you need to make these payments as this won’t be impacted by movements in the Naira. It doesn’t all have to come from your salary. Check out just a few opportunities below and do your homework:

E-commerce: Companies like Konga, Jumia, Webmall, Openshopen, Deal-Dey, have made it easy to get your products/services online so you don’t have to worry about setting up a physical shop or getting your own website. All you need to do is have a good product, which they showcase for you and you pay them a commission on the sale price. With all the issues around buying things from outside of the country, more people will look to sourcing locally so you need to step up your production quality.

MSME Fund for women: Did you know that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has a N220Bn (yes, billion) single digit interest rate fund and they have earmarked over 50% of this for women owned businesses, particularly start-ups? Don’t leave cheap money on the table.

Transportation: We all know that the public transport system isn’t great, so if you have a car why not turn it into a source of income? Uber Nigeria is looking for partners to help grow their business network. They take care of finding customers and payments so no physical cash is handled, you just need to make your car available.

Housing: Perhaps you have a spare room in your house/flat or a residential property that you haven’t been able to get a tenant for? Airbnb is looking for partners to host guests with nightly rates ranging from $30/night for a room to over $100/night for a one-bedroom apartment. Make that empty space work for you!

Agriculture: I know that this is a massive sector, but opportunities here actually go beyond farming. Look at the steps involved in getting the product from the farm to your hands. Did you know that up to 70% of the country’s agricultural produce gets wasted before it even gets to a market? What can you do to reduce this? Companies like Reel Fruit for example convert fresh fruits into dried form which are then packaged and sold as snacks. What fruits grow in your environs? Or you could invest in a small palm oil milling machine and package and sell the extract. The options are quite vast.

Services: It doesn’t all have to be about physical products as there are a host of services you can offer. Look at the niche you’re interested in and identify the gaps/problems/what’s not working and create a solution to fix the problem, package it and sell it as a value added service. It could be anything from training, facility management, event planning, to providing day care/after school services for the children in your neighborhood.

Traditional investments: If you’re not necessarily business inclined, you can still put your money in the traditional sources of investments such as Treasury Bills (minimum investment value of N10,000), fixed deposits, mutual funds, etc. which will give you steady – though not dramatic–  returns. You can always ‘top up’ your investment amount as your finances improve.

I hope this has got you thinking and has helped you see that you have an opportunity to create new sources of income beyond the norm. 2016 will call for creativity which goes beyond the traditional saving and budgeting plans. It promises to be a very exciting year if you do your homework, create a sound financial plan and diligently stick to it.

Rolayo Akhigbe is a Holistic Finance Specialist passionate about helping people invest wisely in their emotional, physical and financial health. Connect with her on the following: Website www.RolayoAkhigbe.com | Email: info@rolayoakhigbe.com |Twitter @rolayoakhigbe | Instagram: ROLAYOAKHIGBE | Facebook RolayoAkhigbeInspire

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Our recipe this week is a recipe for yoodles and egusi soup from DooneysKitchen, Dunni is a food enthusiast with the most amazing recipes, see the recipe for Yoodles and egusi soup below.

Dooney’s kitchen target is redefining and promoting Nigerian food. It aims to give Nigerian food the identity that it deserves.

In this recipe she is redefining how you see Yam and Egusi Soup, with the most fun kitchen gadget ever- the Spirilizer.

The Yoodles and Egusi Soup recipe can be used as a menu item for different kinds of occasions.

It is easy to prepare, just follow the simple steps and you are on your way to enjoying the tantalising dish of Yoodles and Egusi Soup.

Ingredients

• Yam
• Vegetable Oil
• Egusi Soup

Method

1) Cut the Yam in a cylindrical shape and peel the skin of in long strokes.

2) Attach the Yam to the Spirilizer

3) Spirilize the Yam into Yoodles

4) Heat up the oil in a wok or frying pan and toss the Yoodles around until they start to look transparent

5) Shake the pan to transfer heat don’t stir the Yoodles too much so as not to break them down

6) Once the Yoodles are slightly cooked add spoonful’s worth of Egusi soup and continue tossing until the Yoodles absorb the colour and flavour of the Egusi soup. Serve with chopped pieces of meat or fish

7) The Simplest dinner in history! Enjoy

Pictures: www.bellanaija.com

Follow her @DonneysKitchen

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Meet our LM Mum of the Month: Damilola Ajidagba

Our LagosMums of the Month series explores frank questions with LagosMums on motherhood, their philosophies on life among other things. We always learn when we read someone else’s story and they share their experiences with us. Meet Damilola Ajidagba our LagosMums of the month, she is also a wife and mother of a set of twins.

What was your experience as a first time mum?

My experience was a bit weird, although I knew I was expecting a set of twins as early as the 6th week after conception, I moved from disbelief to anxiety to expectation.  My pregnancy was uneventful (went smoothly) up until the 35week, the remaining one week (they came at exactly 36 weeks) was very eventful.

Delivery itself (vaginal delivery) was very fast, despite the eventful final week, the whole process from breaking of water to the first and final contraction and finally delivery took less than 4hours…the leading twin was cephalic but the second twin was breech, after the leading twin came out, they had to manoeuvre the second twin (manually turn him to the right position) before he came out, it was an equally eventful delivery.

What do you love most about being a mum? What has the journey been so far?

Having tiny hands hold my leg while walking by and wrap their arms around my neck when I carry them.
The journey has been moving from awe struck – to being stressful – to beautiful – to very stressful – to being fun and every other adjective you can add.

Motherhood has been everything from awe struck, to stressful, beautiful and fun
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What scares you most about /challenges you face being a mum?

Not doing enough for my children, not getting things right with them, what if I am wrong, what if’s? Challenges include having to sift through advice from experienced mums, the fact that you are experienced does not mean you did it right!

Could you share any funny moments as a mum? 

In a bid to correct my son for biting my nipple while breastfeeding, I changed my face to make him realize what he did was bad, and he just smiled (like mum I know what I did) I just burst into laughter.

What lessons has marriage taught you?

Marriage has taught me to live your life, while your spouse does lives theirs. Please do live your life, do not remain stagnant because you are married, help yourselves to achieve your individual dreams. In as much as the family comes first, your dream comes next.

What do you think every home needs?

LOVE and UNDERSTANDING

Every home needs love and understanding
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Have you made career choice based on your role as a mum?

Right now I am a stay at home mum, because I am taking care of my kids. I decided to opt out of work, for a while, and go for another degree so as to have a bit more time with my kids and at the same time upgrade myself academically…its a win-win situation.

Does the word “balance” exist?

I am sure it does, but most days I am at my wits end and cannot wait till my children are fast asleep so as to get to bed myself.

How do you relax?

I rarely have time to relax, but if i actually do, I think it is the little time I am on my tab surfing the internet, or eating…no scratch that, I eat while on my feet at times..I think I relax within the few hours I get to sleep at night, such is the life of Damilola ‘Iya Ibeji’ these days.

What is your parenting style?

Depending on the situation, I go from soft to hot even on my 8months old. Spare the rod and spoil the child, yes they are still very young, of course I will not hit them with a rod. There are many ways to make your point – change your face, increase the pitch of your voice, tell them they did well when they actually did well, tell them they are naughty and change the countenance of your face to prove your point. These are all ways to correct them now, as they grow older, devise different methods.

What is your guiding philosophy in life?

As much as possible, make peace with all men, the world is too small a place to keep grudges, live and let live.

What’s the most important skill that a Lagos mum needs?

Hmmm….ability to balance all I think!

Follow Damilola on @Iamquerida

To read posts on other Mums of the Month visit here..If you would like to be featured as a LagosMums Mum of the Month please contact us at contactus@lagosmums.com

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The year 2015 is wrapping to a close and it is time for the year in review. Infact for some people you would say the year is already over with just a few hours left in 2015.

Before we start to talk about the plans, goals and resolutions for the new year. It is important to take stock and review the outgoing year. This includes looking at the wins, the challenges, the mistakes, the areas for improvement and just appreciate how are you feeling at this time of the year.

It might be easy to say “oh I am tired or why should I do a review” after all, next year will come and I can deal with next year – next year. However when you take the time to take stock of the past year’s experiences you will achieve 2 things  –

1. Ability to count your blessings
2. Identify the areas for improvement

This sums it up and this applies to everyone! Everyone has things to be grateful for and everyone has areas that need improvement. If you one of the 8% of the population that was able to achieve all the goals that you set for the year or even the quarter…kudos to you. In all the areas where you were successful I bet if you look closer there have been more doors of opportunity opened. It is likely that you are now spurred on by that fact that you did it and want to do it better, supersize it or repeat it. You become more confident to try more when you have achieved some. Achievement simply makes room for more achievement.

This year was the year that I decided to step out and focus on growing my passion and go out as an entrepreneur. I set a few goals at the beginning of the year, I set timeframes and then I started plodding along. I took the time to write down my goals with plans on how to achieve them and this is the only reason why I was actually able to achieve many of them..along with a whole lot of prayer!! Prior to this year, I always kept all my dreams in my head. To be frank I used to snub the advise that said “a goal is only a goal when it is written down”. I have learnt that this is the truth and a goal written in plain english and backed actions makes it become a reality, anything else is just a dream.

Along the year I would say I had many wins and achieved some of the things I wanted to, admist all the challenges. We know some of the common challenges faced this year, like the uncertainty and slow down in the economy thanks to the elections, the devaluation of the Naira among all other gloomy economic news.

It is as I sit now, doing the same thing I am encouraging you to do that I realize that I actually have a lot to be thankful for. I have many blessings to count. This year I focused on my passion (as risky as that was when you look at the economic conditions all around) and I am thankful for the growth I have seen in my business and brand growth.

So what are some of things I am thankful for –

• Relationships with experts – I made a conscious decision to meet people within my industry and build relationships. If you are selling a product, brand or services you must let people know you, feel you and understand what you offer. Meet experts who have done it before and who you can learn from.

• Continuous Learning – Learning is a life long journey and we learn everyday from people we speak to and what we read. I was deliberate and returned to the classroom to pick up additional skills to enhance what I know and to learn more.

• Networking – I networked more this year than ever before. As I was clearer about what my goals were for the year I was able to meet the right people – people I call “destiny helpers”. As a result of clear goals I was able to identify what resources I have and look for the additional resources I needed.

• Destroyed fear – Fear is really the fear of failure. There is nothing like failure because everything is a learning experience. You learn from the good and guess what you learn from the bad too! I look at everything that did not go well as a learning opportunity. I have learnt to cut myself some slack and laugh at the situation and myself as need be. You see fear is that thing that can limit you from trying or limit you from asking because you do not want to look stupid. Fear is the opposite of faith and there is truly only room for one. So make room for the right thing.

Fear is the opposite of faith there is only room for one so make room for the right thing.
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• Boldness – Two of my favourite mottos are “Never say never” and “Ask what is the worst that can happen, you will never know unless you ask”. Now for this you have to be ready for when you hear No! When I hear No I see opportunity to change my approach or my request. When I face a delay I pray for discernment to know when God is saying No because he has a yes for me elsewhere. You see God always has the whole script clearly laid out so it is my job to navigate as he leads. Some amazing doors have opened because I was bold enough to ask.

• Embrace Social Media – I had to throw this one in here. I love social media and keep learning new ways of being on it. I only got onto Instagram recently and before that I complained that I just did not get it. I got the help I needed and with a lot of trial and error am getting the hang of it. I tell anybody that has a cause or a business that they must be on social media, it is the best way to reach the world. One of my biggest wins here was when I met Mrs Oby Ezekwezili who I look up to from a distance. I had the privilege to meet her at the W initiative at Access Bank, I introduced myself to her and she said “oh you are LagosMums! I know you on twitter and I love what you are doing”. I was so thrilled! The world is smaller than you imagine and you can connect with almost anyone. [Read: Making It Happen]

• Disappointments – With all this great stuff going on in the year, I was disappointed when a role I was expecting to commence in the new year faced a setback and would no longer be setting up in Nigeria. I encouraged myself by reminding myself that “when you get not so great news the best comeback is to say “God will make it all work out for my good”. I share this because the truth is that life is a combination of wins, many reasons to count my (your) blessings but there will be areas that you are still waiting for God to perfect.

• Gratitude – Overall in reviewing the year I am totally sold on the principle that “Gratitude is an Attitude”. Learning to be grateful for the small everyday things all the way to the big ones makes life a joy to live. I am thankful and grateful for my children, for my husband, my growth with God, my friends, my network and support system, my parenting partner (aka my domestic staff), for plants, for my puppy that has stopped pooping in the house!! and for so much more than I can write down.

All this said and done, lets remember to do this every year, regularly and frequently. Make your goals plain, write it down, assess how you have done and what you are yet to do…all with the attitude of gratitude.

Get ready for the year 2016…do not carry any baggage over into the new year. Rather carry over optimism and belief that it is your year of upgrade!

Have a Happy New Year and an awesome 2016!

The post The Year In Review appeared first on Lagosmums.

What do you do when everything is up in the air? This was the question Pastor Mo asked.

There are certain times that things might be very uncertain and unclear. There are certain ways to handle this. There are somethings in your life that should not be up in the air. What you place a premium on is what is important to you. If you do not place a premium on your family they do not mean anything to you. If you do not cherish your wife, value your husband, call your mum, then do they really matter to you?

God is a God who does not change.

What are the things that are up in the air? Perhaps 

• Your business is up in the air? The economy and the situation is hard on almost all sectors and areas.
• Could it be your relationships that are up in the air? Perhaps that marriage is just not as you want it to be, or the person you thought you would walk down the aisle with has not happened as planned?
• Maybe it is your career or job that is up in the air? The job front might be uncertain with impending job cuts looming?
• Perhaps it is the Country? Nigeria as we try to transition from stable but corrupt to one where we clean things up and make things work seems to have left everything up in the air.  There is a stand still in the economy which has moved from bunkering to non oil revenue budgeting.

No matter how all these very important issues are uncertain and “up in the air”, Our relationship with God should be the one thing that is never up in the air. What is the use of being a prayer warrior but you are living in fornication,  or go to the prayer mountain but live like a devil most times (when you are off the mountain).

When God puts everything up in the air he wants to draw us nearer..when things are up in the air look for God he will give you himself.

Sometimes when everything is up in the air God is speaking and he wants to hear you say –

You are my everything
My own
You are my hearts desire
My King
I desire you
I desire you

Strategies when things are up in the air

1. Get the blood on the door post. Get the blood around your life, in your life.

2. Feed on the right thing – What are you feeding on, what words are you speaking and hearing, what are the ideas you are feeding yourself with. Stop feeding on the depressing news, watch what you listen to and what you feed your spirit with. There are some particular times when you need to clean up what you are feeding yourself and your mind with like now when things seem up in the air.

3. Prepare – Get your sandals on your feet and gird your waist. Where is your new plan? Where is your business idea?  Is this the time to get into different things? What new doors are being opened. This it the time for people to be creative. So prepare. calibrate. When things are up in air is the time to prepare, to take stock.

4. Go and ask your due – This is the time to ask. Go and recalibrate you value. Create value and solve problems. Ask what is fair. The bible says you have not because you ask not. This is the time to appear clear and speak straight. When people are uncertain this is the time to appear to be clear on where you are going and what you want. Build your track record now build your empire now when there is darkness and everything is up in the air.

5. The time of crisis is when you March out. By leadership take back where you have been robbed

So when things seem up in the air, have hope and do not despair. Hold on to God and employ some strategies to get through the uncertain periods.

The post When Everything is Up In The Air appeared first on Lagosmums.

Parenting Trends In 2015

The parenting trends around the world in the year 2015 are a mix of some old and some new. Although we have had old ones that have been done repeatedly, we also have quite a few new other trends in the parenting world. Here is our list of some we thought are worthy of mention culled from mom.me

Smash Cakes

Picture: www.baby.lovetoknow.com

Smash cakes are small cakes that are made just for little ones celebrating their first birthdays. The sole purpose of the cake (as the name implies) is to be smashed up. Obviously, we wouldn’t want our adorable little babies to mess up their first birthday cake before and after blowing out the candles on the cakes! So the trick is to present it to them when it’s time to blow out their candle, and let them dig in with their hands. This one’s just for them, and beware it can get really really messy!

Pre Pepped Meals Delivered

Picture: www.neontommy.com

This trend has become fast rising most especially in the western world with both parents actively involved in the corporate sector and single parent households on the rise. As a result home-cooked dinners are getting the squeeze. These subscription services drop pre-measured, pre-portioned and often organic ingredients (plus recipes) right at your door between two and five times per week, making homemade family dinners somewhat doable in the unrelenting work/school/life grind.

The Year Parents Got Serious About Sleep

Picture: www.tembisan.co.za

Health, happiness, good grades, great beauty—they all come down to one thing: sleep. And 2015 was the year we got serious about it. The National Sleep Foundation came out with guidelines that shocked even the most sleep-righteous of parents into realising that their kids were not getting enough sleep. There was even a conference bringing together health practitioners, sleep researchers and media bigwigs to discuss this great deprivation of our times. It is our job as parents to make sure we put down our foot down on the issues of adequate sleep for our children, without compromise in the least bit!

Letting Kids Fail

Picture: http://img.weixinyidu.com

Some parents are just too afraid to let their kids fail. The sooner we allow our kids to realize that life has never been a win-win all charade, the better it would help them face life’s realities and challenges. This year parents took serious measures back in an effort to raise more resilient, risk-taking, self-assured, confident and outgoing kids.

Dads Are The New Mums

Picture: www.lipstickandpolitics.com

This is the year dads broke through (or at least cracked) the pink ceiling, at home and at work. The number of high-profile corporations lengthening their paid maternity leave and offering significant paid paternity leave for new dads snowballed. The Lagos State Government added their own work incentive for new fathers which would make sure the father would be entitled to 10 working days paternity leave in relation to and at the time of his spouses first two deliveries. Talk about a stay home dad!

Longer Maternity Leave

Picture: www.expressnews.com

All around the world their has been an constant outcry of short and sometimes poorly paid maternity leaves for working mothers. Companies finally realizing short, unpaid maternity leave is bad for the bottom line, this year also saw a boost in postpartum benefits for a growing number of working moms. Lagos State Government joined the global move by making sure that mothers were not left by approving six months maternity leave with full payments for female public servants in the state.. While It is not every Company, women have more options, like Netflix that offers unlimited paid maternity leave! Wow.

Working Mums

Picture: www.mamagidi.com

2015 may be the watershed year for working families and keeping women in the workplace. Slowing down, or stepping away from work for a while, does not have to mean the end of career advancement. It takes an understanding that it all about timing and that necessary sacrifices have to be made for a well balanced family life. Workplace policies till have room to move on this.

The Brelfie

Picture: www.i.huffpost.com

Otherwise known as the ‘Breast Selfie’. Facebook has been booting images of breast feeding moms from its feeds for years, but Instragram became a hotspot for posting pics of moms nursing their babies. Our phones document our new haircuts and the baby’s first steps. Why not a couple of shots at mealtime? Breastfeeding selfies became so ubiquitous this year, they even got their own mash-up name: the brelfie.

Increase in Single Parenting Among Nigerians

Picture: www.money101.co.za

There is a rising trend of single parenting around the world including Nigeria. Several factors contribute to the growing number of single parents, among these is the changing view of single-hood, which is increasingly being viewed as an alternative to marriage. High divorce rate also means there are more singles, more people have experienced divorce or separation in their families and have a more negative attitude about marriage and not as opposed to the idea of single-parenting. Some reasons commonly given by women for leaving her partner usually include adultery, abuse, desertion, addiction to alcohol or drugs. On the other hand some single parents have not chosen the situation willingly.

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The Little Foodie Sessions

The Little Foodie Sessions are a series of cooking sessions. You get to learn everything you want to know and more about how, when and what to feed your little ones.

Omotade Alalade (Founder/CEO of The Little Foodie Sessions) and Maky Benson (Host and Co-founder of The Little Foodie Sessions) have teamed up to bring the Lagos edition.

The team  will be working with you to prepare healthy organic foods designed to get your child’s tiny taste buds familiar to a range of flavours, whilst also providing nutritional benefits. Parents will be given numerous recipes, weekly menu ideas, tailored strategies to expand your little ones diet and most of all, the confidence to recreate the same meals at home.

Team of mums for the event are:
• TY Bello (CEO, TY Bello Photography)
• Elaine Shobanjo (CEO, SHOMYA)
• Frances Asemota (CEO, The Mustard Seed)
• Funke Bucknor-Obruthe (CEO Zapphaire events)
• Bola Balogun (CEO, Glam Network and Glam Brand Agency)
• Wonu Okoye (CEO, MEIDEI)

The Little Foodie Sessions aim is to make every child a carefree eater who is a joy to feed. Whether you are a novice or a whiz in the kitchen, you will benefit from these sessions and acquire some new ideas. You will also get the benefit of nutritional information for the different stages of your little one’s development.

The sessions are made to be interactive and social thereby making it a great opportunity to network and meet other mums and mums-to-be.

If you are interested please follow @thelittlefoodiesessions on Instagram or click HERE to register your interest in attending.

Date: Wednesday January 20th – Sunday January 24th
Venue: The Mustard Seed
Contact: 08127985641 │ follow @thelittlefoodiesessions

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Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas.

Did you think Santa only visits homes where there is snow? Santa also does home visits in Lagos. Would you like a personal visit from Santa? Have your kids been on there best behaviour? Or do you just want to make this Christmas a really special one for the little ones you love? Speak no more because Santa is in your neighbourhood!

Ese Judith Usiakpor is the initiator of this project. She a preschool teacher and an all time lover of children anyway and  anytime.

Get ready for Santa to visit you at home in 2016 Don’t worry you do not have to have a chimney!

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5 Online Nigerian Baby Stores You Need to Know

Shopping online definitely has its perks and for mums who have their hands full, having your baby necessities delivered right to your doorstep can certainly take a weight off. To help you find all you need online Kosava, Nigeria’s #1 Coupon website, has made a list of 5 great online baby stores in Nigeria that you should know about.

Newbee

Newbee.ng is a new online shop that provides within a day delivery service of baby essentials to busy mums who want to spend less time running errands, and more time with family. The site offers a wide assortment of authentic baby products at great prices with utmost ease. Find items from diapers to formula and baby food to car seats all in one place.

Mumsfave

Mumsfave.com is an online shop that caters for the needs of mothers and children by providing a range of items such as children clothes, toys, shoes, maternity gowns and hair accessories. You can shop products from 1200+ top International brands like Mattel, Levi’s, Johnsons, Farlin, Medela, Pampers, Disney, Barbie, Gerber, Fisher Price and more!

Early Years

Early Years exist to bring happiness and convenience to families. It is a company committed to making children look good, feel good and play well as they excel      through life. They sell a range of baby care items including baby monitors and party supplies all at great prices.

Simplyinfants

Simplyinfants.com is a site that helps the working mum get all she needs to take care of her special ones. You can shop a range of top US brand products and order online or over the phone. It also has a sister site – Simplytoddlers.com, that caters specifically to 1-3 year olds.

 Mothercare Nigeria

Mothercare is a British retailer that has been operating in Nigeria since 2001. With 3 stores all over Lagos (Surulere, Ikeja and Victoria Island) the baby chain also has an online store that caters to parents wishing to shop from the comfort of their home. It is one of Nigeria’s top retailers for Prams, Pushchairs, Car Seats, Baby Clothes, Maternity Clothes, Nursery Furniture.

Here is a list of some helpful coupons that can save you money on baby items via KosavaDeals

Newbee – N1000 credit when you create an account

Newbee – Save Up To 16% On Baby Care Bundles And Sets

MumsFave – 10% off your first order with use of coupon code | 20% Off Baby Diapers

Early Years – Save Up To 50% on Baby Clothing

Mothercare – 40% Off Select Car Seats

For more great coupon offers visit Kosavadeals.com

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Here are some prayers for the new school year, it is always good to commit everything to Gods hands. We pray for a successful school year for our children and their teachers.

Students Prayer

We give you praise, O God,
for everything that is new and beautiful,
for everything which holds promise and brings us joy.

Bless us as we start this new year
with our friends and teachers
Help us to make the most of every chance we have to start afresh.

May we show love to one another and to all.
May the new beginning of this school year
remind us that you give us chances to start over again and again.
Help us to forgive others
as we receive your forgiveness.

Help us to learn and to work together.
Help us to listen when we should
and to know the best words when we speak
and when it is better not to speak.

We thank you for our friends
Help us to be good friends this year.
Help us to be patient
with ourselves and with others.

Bless our school and keep us safe.
Be with us as we travel each day.

Help us to be aware of your love
shown to us in the people around us.

Bless all those who care for us
In school and at home.
Help us show our care for them
and to say sorry when we need to.

May the Blessed Mother Mary protect us
And help us to live as well as we can
Giving thanks and glory to God as she did.

Amen.

Prayer for All

Heavenly Father,

As we begin this new school year, we gather once again.

We thank you for the time to enjoy our family and friends and to reflect on what is important in our lives.

Let this year be marked by enthusiasm and love so that, with the inspiration of your Spirit, we may continue to grow in our faith.

Help us to fulfill your hope for us with honest intentions and works of faith.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Teachers Prayer

Help me to be a fine teacher, to keep peace in the classroom, peace between my students and myself, to be kind and gentle to each and every one of my students.

Help me to be merciful to my students, to balance mercy and discipline in the right measure for each student, to give genuine praise as much as possible, to give constructive criticism in a manner that is palatable to my students.

Help me remain conscientious enough to keep my lessons always interesting, to recognize what motivates each of my students, to accept my student’s limitations and not hold it against them.

Help me not to judge my students too harshly, to be fair to all, to be a good role model, but most of all Lord, help me to show your love to all of my students.

I ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

source: cdob.org

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Every new year most people bring out their journals or notes to set some New Year goals and resolutions, a small percentage of people will spend sometime reviewing their past year and use this to determine goals.

There are many advantages to setting goals. A goal without a deadline or timeline is just a wish. Setting a timeframe to your goals and actively pursuing it makes it a reality. It is easier to overcome the inertia, fear, backsliding, distractions and all the other things that stop you from achieving your goals when you have a group encouraging you, a coach or your family.

The advantages of setting goals as a family, is that the you have one of the best support groups you can have. Setting goals as a family brings everyone on board, encourages togetherness and gives everyone a common goal to work towards.

Family goals can be personal and shared with the family or set as a family.

Personal Goals – You can set up personal goals and share it with the other members of the family. When you do this you get your own in-house cheerleaders to support and encourage you. While we were setting ours,  our primary school aged children volunteered two goals – one being to stop using our phones/laptops so much and the other being to start exercising! #PointTaken.

Family Goals – This takes everyone’s interest on board and makes it a collective goal. For example a family goal could be to have dinner together. Below are some examples of setting goals.

Example One – The Lawanson’s 

Goal – To have dinner together as a family distraction free.

Reality – Take into account all the realities of life, e.g. traffic, work loads, children’s bedtimes etc.

Options – Decide how often? Once a week (Thursday) and over the weekend (Saturday and Sunday). Actionable steps would be for mum and dad to leave work early one day per week to make it in time for family dinner (before children’s bedtime). The good thing about family goals is that there is no right or wrong answer.

When – Decide to start immediately with this weekend.

Example Two – The Demike’s 

Goal – Take a family trip together

Reality – Save an agreed amount of money to be able to make the trip.

Options – Determine how every member of the family is going to help towards the goal by having everyone make conscious savings towards the goal. Some of the ways to save money is reduce the use of electricity.

The children will also work to earn some money earn – they will offer to work for pay for a few hours over the weekend at a family friends office. The idea is to get everyone and the children working towards the goal together. This also helps children not feel entitled for some luxuries that they enjoy.

When – Start immediately

Tips for Setting Family Goals

• Every family member should participate in setting and achieving the goals, with young children get creative.
• Don’t have too many goals at once. One or two goals at a time is advisable. Too many goals then becomes overwhelming and harder to achieve.
• Set goals any time during the year. It does not only have to be at the beginning of the year, choose anytime that works.
• The goals should be SMART. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound
• Write the family goals down using a goal setting chart and post them in a visible place where everyone can see them.
• Schedule time on your family calendar to sit down and review how you are doing and make any changes that might be needed.

Have fun setting goals as a family!

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A 6 year old spoke up for his Mum’s right to express milk.

Australian mom Telaine Smith was at a loss for words when she was shamed for expressing milk in her own car. But her 6-year-old son Dallas-Gus came to the rescue with an awesome response.

Smith was in her car, in a parking lot, pumping milk for her 4-month-old son Pilot, who was born tongue-tied and has difficulty breastfeeding — despite a procedure to correct it, the mom told The Huffington Post via email.

She said a woman approached her car as she was expressing milk and said “put your ***king tits away.”

“I was shocked,” Smith told HuffPost. “I didn’t even have time to be indignant or defensive.”

But Dallas wasted no time and stepped in for his mum.

“If you don’t want to see it, you don’t have to look,” he said.

According to a pediatric research report from the University of Florida, researchers found that 2 to 5 percent of babies are born with a tongue-tie problem and half of those babies have difficulty with breastfeeding.

Since Pilot still has difficulty latching on, Smith said she expresses milk every three hours for 30 minutes a day.

“Exclusively expressing is an exhausting commitment that doesn’t have much public awareness,” she said. “It can be confronting for people to see a machine attached to someone’s chest, and I would be more then open to genuine curiosity. But verbal ridicule or abuse is disgusting behavior.”

As for her little guy’s reaction, the mum said she’s “proud.”

“I had to laugh when she just walked off and Dallas then said “that was a bit mean hey mum.”

You tell ’em, Dallas!

Source: Huffington Post 

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It is always so fascinating when you are walking down the street and you see a mum dressed in a similar outfit with her child. You can find yourself saying “Oh Lord, I want a beautiful baby girl or boy of my own” (especially when you don’t have one yet). If you do have one, the next thing that runs through your mind is “how cute” and you might wonder how to match your outfits with your child. We found some great mum and child fashion looks.

See below some cute mum and child duos.

www.pintrest.com

www.blackcelebkids.com

www.rivistacdn.hvmag.com

www.pintrest.com

Picture: www.pintrest.com

Picture: www.pintrest.com

www.swedishhospitalblog.com

www.blackglamourmom.com

www.pintrest.com

www.prissyville.com

www.pintrest.com

Children generally develop a  sense of belonging and worth when we do our best to involve them in our day to day activities, including dressing up alike. It gives them a sense of identity that makes them say to themselves ” I look just like my Mummy or Daddy”

Looking cute together helps mums and their children bond, do you have any cute pictures to share of mum and child duos. Happy matching.

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It is a New Year and it looks like Heaven has delivered special children packages to individuals around the world. Here are a list of some of our New Year babies from around the world

Australia

The first baby of New South Wales was so late that he was the earliest to arrive on New Year’s Day. Kathleen and Paul Bevis waited for their son Elliot for ten days expecting a Christmas miracle but were greeted by their baby boy at 12.27am on January 1. Born at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, young Elliot was shrouded in a blue and white blanket as his adoring parents held him for the first time, bringing in the New Year

Source : dailymail

America

Zayden Noel, weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce, was born to Stephanie Diaz “at exactly midnight” according to New York City Health + Hospitals/Coney Island. LIJ Medical Center in Queens also announced the birth of a baby boy at the “stroke of midnight.” That baby, born to parents Daniella and Eli Malakov. Source: abcnews

United Kingdom

Meet the UK’s first baby of 2016 – born at exactly midnight on New Year’s Day. Janaat Azam was born at Glasgow’s Princess Royal Maternity hospital at 00.00am. Adorable: Janaat was born weighing 5lb 1oz . Maureen McKenzie, the charge midwife at the hospital, is unaware of a baby ever being born before on the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Day. Source: mirror.co.uk

Kenya

Some 44 women welcomed their bundles of joy at Kenyatta National Hospital and Pumwani Maternity Hospital as Kenyans ushered in the New Year.

Twenty six babies were born at Kenyatta while 18 babies were born at Pumwani. The first at Kenyatta was Chrispine Baraka at 12.06am to Jacklyn Naibei. Her mother could not hide her joy as she termed her baby a blessing since she has been praying God to give her a boy.

Blessing Mumo was the first baby born at Pumwani at 1.10am to Janeliza Wanjala and David Mutala. Mutala said they were preparing to go for New Year night vigil when labour pains came. “I accompanied her to Pumwani and arrived at 11pm.”

Source: standardmedia.co.ke

Nigeria

Lagos

Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode , Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris; Special Adviser on Primary Healthcare to the Governor, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga Paid a special visit to the first baby’s in the new year

Ambode’s wife gave this advice when she presented gifts to the first babies born in the early hours of the New Year during visits to Epe General Hospital, Ibeju Lekki General Hospital and Lagos Island Maternity Hospital.

Abuja

Abuja first baby of the year was born at 1:55am at the Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada. The baby was born to the family of Mr and Mrs Francis Elue from Niger State. The baby weighed 3.9kg

Source: naijapoint.com

Rivers

The Rivers State First Lady, Justice Suzzette Nyesom-Wike Wife of Rivers State Governor, who was at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital on New Year Day where she visited the New Year baby, commended the invaluable efforts of the medical professionals saying that they deserve support from members of the public, rather than being objects of attack by criminals.

Source: thenewsnigeria.com.ng

Ondo

Governor Olusegun Mimikos wife Oluwakemi of Ondo State paid a visit to the state special hospital post natal ward to celebrate and donate gift items to the first baby of the year in the state, baby Adewon and the mother, Omoboyede Adewon as part of activities marking the beginning of the year.

Welcome Babies!

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What kinda Life is This? The Life of a Working Lagos Mum

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, sounded the alarm. Rola jumped up at the sound, it was 4:30am and another day had begun! She knelt by her bedside to mumble some words of prayer as she thanked God for another day and asked for strength to face the day. She walked up to the other side of the bed to give her husband a good morning kiss. “Good morning darling,” she said and still in a very sleepy state, he muttered some words which sounded like “Morning love” in return.

Rola headed straight to the kitchen and, as usual, selected her favourite playlist on her phone and hit the play button. She danced her way around the kitchen as she whisked the eggs, assembled the sandwiches, chopped veggies and blended fruits for a healthy smoothie. She glanced at the clock and realized it was time to wake the children up.

She dashed off to their room, woke them up, prayed with them and got them ready for school, as she shuttled between their room and the kitchen. Wow! No wonder women are likened to the octopus, juggling multiple tasks with their “many hands.” As the kids went down for breakfast, Rola confirmed that all lunch boxes were packed and then went ahead to get ready for work. She jumped in and out of the shower briskly as she barely had any time for a luxury bath.

Noticing her efforts to get ready as fast as possible, her husband decided to help reduce the pressure by offering to drop the children at school. This was a huge relief, as it gave her more time for herself.

As she drove to work, Rola had a mental playback of her morning so far, then she began to envision her day; the workload  at the office, the traffic on her way back home and the thought of getting home tired and still having to prepare dinner for the family made her sink deeper into her seat. Rola caught herself in this downcast mood as the thought of her workingLagos mum life engulfed her and she immediately tried to shake it off by thanking God for the gift of family, however, she couldn’t help but think “what kind of life is this?!”

Hmmm, does Rola’s life  sound familiar? Can you relate with her? Just like Rola ( a working Lagos mum like many of us), did you ask yourself that same question or something similar recently or even this morning? Are you tired of just going through the motions like Rola? Do you desire more from life than you are currently experiencing? Do you sometimes wish life could be fairer? Do you feel guilty having these thoughts? Would you feel less guilty knowing that you are not alone in this line of thoughts?………… Well my dear, indeed you are not alone! It’s normal and healthy to feel this way from exhaustion. Being a parent is the most tasking and rewarding profession and nothing tops being a parent than being a mum!

Albeit, being a mum does not define you; You are first and foremost an individual before you are a wife and/or a mother. You must care for your person first before you can take care of the family. This may sound selfish and absurd, as “mum” is synonymous to self-sacrifice. However, you cannot give what you do not have. If you do not take care of yourself (Physically, emotionally and psychologically), you will get to a point where you begin to resent your husband and children. Sacrificing your needs for your family serves neither of you. No doubt, there is the place of sacrifice in all relationships, however, we need to be able to create a balance.

Tirta Ayu Spa

Ashley Eder, LPC, a psychotherapist described the mother-child relationship as both symbiotic and parasitic. It is parasitic because your adorable and beloved children (parasites) depend on you (the host) for survival. Therefore the host has to ensure that she stays healthy for their sake.  If you feel that you are doing too much for the family with very little time for yourself, it might help to have a chat with your husband and let him know how you feel. In doing so, be careful not to attack his person, appreciate his efforts as a husband and father and then gently put it to him that you would appreciate it if he could help out with a few things.

For some this may be fruitful, while others may not be fortunate enough to have understanding husbands. Whatever the case may be, mum needs to create time for herself. That sounds almost impossible because of the hustle and bustle in Lasgidi coupled with responsibilities at home. Be assured however that it is indeed possible; it requires intentionality and mindfulness. You create your world and you have to make conscious efforts to create the kind of life you want. This must be done realistically, taking into consideration your peculiar situation. No matter your circumstance, there’s a way to make it work!

Taking care of yourself doesn’t have to be extravagant, you work with what you have. It could be as simple as treating yourself to your favourite snack once a month, getting your nails done (even though they won’t last long from constantly dipping them into water), to taking a couple of minutes just for you at least once a day and just breathe! If you live in one of those quiet estates, you could take a 15-30 mins walk and rather than think about dinner or the pending tasks, just take time to breathe and appreciate your surroundings (who knows, you just might see an ad asking you to trade the kids for some mommy time!).

Or you could just go sit in your car and listen to music. Practice being mindful about activities, no matter what. It could be while washing dishes, taking a bath, taking a walk or playing with the children. Mindfulness requires you to “be in the moment.” Consciously observe your sensory experience as you engage in these activities. Do not hesitate to ask for help when you need it. Whatever it takes, you have to maintain your sanity; your mental and emotional health are very important.

Dear mum, please endeavour to give yourself a pat on the back regularly because you’re doing a terrific job! Ignore the naysayers who may be criticizing you, they can’t do it better than you. Look at yourself in the mirror daily and say to yourself: I am a terrific mum, doing a wonderful job and I deserve to be happy too! My needs matter and refusing to acknowledge them does not serve anyone!

Gbemi Ogunrinde, Family Psychologist

@GbemiOgunrinde

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