In this issue... Dress your ‘bump’ in style Christmas traditions Slugs and Snails and babyhood tales – musings from a new mum Dark Ice Project Get pampered from the comfort of your own home! THE magaz ine FROM SUGAR & SPICE CHIL DCARE RECRUIT MENT AG E N CY
WINTER 2012
& all things nice
Baby, it’s cold outside....
A
s I write this, I am wrapped up warm in my cashmere sweater, safe in the comfort of my home, surrounded by Christmas presents waiting to be wrapped. The same cannot be said for two intrepid explorers, who are currently embarking on phase one of a project to conquer the North Pole in Winter. Facing complete darkness, temperatures of -50 degrees and over 900 miles to cover in this phase alone, Alex Hibbert and Justin Miles are attempting to reach the North Pole unsupported in 2014, something which has never been achieved! You can read more about the Dark Ice Project in this issue and due to this wonderful age of modern technology, you can even keep up to date with the project on Twitter! I love this time of year, it’s a time to behave like a big kid and enjoy all the decorations, lights, cheesy Christmas
films and to spend time with loved ones. Each year, I like to make an advent calendar for the family, where each day has a ‘question’ about Christmas, with the answer being on a strip of paper with some chocolate and a cringeworthy Christmas related joke! Now that my children are grown up, I did wonder if I should bother this year, but I’m happy to say the Christmas spirit lives on and the advent calendar was created again this year and there’s even a picture to prove it! As always, we have had great support for the magazine and we would like to thank everyone for their help, in particular, Sara at Madderson London, Alex Hibbert from the Dark Ice Project, and our regular columnist Kathryn and her little man, William (who is getting so big now!). Don’t forget, if you want to book a Nanny or Maternity Nurse, then please get in touch, we would love to help you find that special person for your family and we have some fantastic candidates to choose from. For a limited time, we are also pleased to offer a special
15% discount off any of our bespoke childcare packages featured on our website, if booked before the end of January 2013. Just quote WINT01 when registering online, or when speaking to one of our friendly consultants.
if the thought of a christmas advent,
is too much for you to contemplate, but you’d still like to have a Christmas tradition, what about starting a Christmas yearbook? This wonderful product I’ve just found named, appropriately ‘The Christmas Yearbook’ does it all for you - basically, it’s a glorified photo album, but this takes it a little further and lines up all your Christmas family pictures so you can see how everyone changes over the years (and how many new additions come along too!). You could create your own from scrap, or you can cheat and buy one! I’ve recently come across a fantastic product called ‘The Christmas Yearbook’ that does it all for you. It’s basically a book of templates to fill in each year. There is room for the year, a photo, the names of everyone you are spending Christmas with, a brief description (things like where you were, what you played/watched, who cooked etc) and then on one of the sides, a place for everyone (family and friends) to write
winter fun....
a short message mentioning anything momentous that has happened that year or something being planned for the forthcoming year. It’s kind of where you’d say, ‘Ruth & James are over from Oz with the dynamic duo!’ ‘It’s the puppy’s first Christmas and he likes to eat all the paper’.....you get the general idea...
With our winter being more soggy than crisp white snow, here are some tips to help you create the wonderful feel of a perfect winter....
You can get a copy of the Christmas Yearbook from www.darlinganddarling.co.uk
l
You can make some lovely simple melting snowman cookies, basically follow your favourite recipe, then decorate with white icing, topped off with a slightly gooey marshmallow and decorate with some black icing to make the snowman look as if it’s melting!
l
Instead of a gingerbread house, why not make a sugar cube castle - use empty kitchen roll holders for the frames for the turrets, and ‘build’ the castle with sugar cubes and icing. In past years, I’ve decorated the castle with creeping ivy using green icing and I usually drape mini fairy lights/decorations around it for extra special touch of ‘bling’! If you want to make simple inexpensive gifts for friends, why not make a hot chocolate snowman tower? Get 3 small empty jars (baby food jars are perfect) and sterilise them. Then fill the bottom two with chocolate powder, the top one with mini marshmallows and then draw a couple of ‘buttons’ on the middle one and a snowman face on the top one. Create a hat for the top with some black card, and tie a little bit of material around the ‘neck’ of the second jar for the scarf et voilà “snowman tower”!
l
WINTER 2012
christmas traditions....
Candidate Profile W
e are delighted to introduce Bridget, one of our wonderful Nannies, who you can book directly through Sugar & Spice. Originally from South Africa, Bridget is 26 years old, Level 3 qualified and has been working with children and their families since 2004. Bridget has a wonderful, warm personality, and is a huge fan of the outdoors. As well as being Level 3 qualified, Bridget is also qualified as a Post Natal Carer and has trained in breast-feeding and sleep training too. Bridget runs her own Baby Massage class one day weekly, so is looking to work for 4 days a week as a Nanny, based in South West London. If you would like to book Bridget for your nanny vacancy, then email us at info@ sugarandspiceagency.com and let us know your requirements.
Coffee with sara madderson Madderson London creates beautiful statement pieces for women who want to celebrate their pregnant curves while retaining a fabulous sense of style. We caught up with founder of the brand, Sara Madderson to find out what inspired her to launch the luxury brand...
there until I had my son, Paddy. The trading floor was a bit of a catwalk and my job (and business trips to New York) did great things for my wardrobe and shoe collection! On a less shallow note, it gave me the chance to meet and analyse hundreds of businesses and gave me a great commercial grounding.
What was the inspiration behind Madderson? I love clothes, and there have been many times when I’ve seen an item of clothing and thought ‘I HAVE to have that!’. When I was pregnant, there were very limited choices available to working women who wanted to look stylish and professional, and all of my maternity purchases were based on practicality rather than that ‘must-have’ feeling. It didn’t seem fair that we should miss out on that excitement for nine months and so I set about trying to recreate it in maternity wear.
What makes your product stand out from other Maternity Wear? There are many companies out there that make great maternity basics at varied price-points. Madderson London seeks to hunt down and use gorgeous embellishments and striking prints for style-conscious women who are used to wearing beautiful statement clothes pre-pregnancy. Rather than play it safe, we start with the special: luxe details that transform the perception of maternity wear.
What were you doing before you launched the brand? I was a banker. I joined an American bank right out of university and stayed
Describe your fashion style. Elegant; classic with a twist; style over fashion; invest in great pieces and wear, wear, wear them.
What would your ideal weekend consist of? Hanging out with my husband and children, preferably outdoors. A low-key dinner with my husband (and friends) and a good bottle of wine, and curling up with a boxset, or Downton Abbey on Sunday night! Guilty pleasure? Chocolate. Always. And chic-lit. Since my banker days of having to read dry financial reports for work, I’m afraid my taste in books has become very low-brow…!
Fail safe dinner party dish? Anything that can be stuck in the oven for hours and withstand the inevitable delay in serving up as everyone gets tipsy. Boeuf bourguignon is a particular favourite. Any tips for working parents? I was going to ask the same question! For me, it’s been helpful to compartmentalise family and work where possible. Get as much help as you can afford – not just childcare but support like housekeeping, so chores don’t erode all your family time. And most important, try not to feel guilty all the time (almost impossible). www.maddersonlondon.com
Favourite book? The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (from my more literary days). Favourite film/DVD? The Age of Innocence again … and The Sound of Music. My poor 21 month old son is now obsessed with the latter too!
WINTER 2012
4 favourite things in life. My family & friends, good wine (especially claret), fashion, and nice hotels (without the kids!).
Slugs and snails and babyhood tales Musings from a new mum by Kathryn Pople
I
t’s good fun being one. Every day is an adventure, every place is a new frontier, every new object is full of possibilities. A whole year has spun by in a whirlwind, and as William approached his first birthday, I reflected on how many firsts there had been, and just how many were still to come. But there wasn’t too much time to languidly philosophise over such things; I had a birthday party to organise! There’s nothing like party planning to put the pressure on. “Oh, we’re just going to have a small family tea party,” I told people, but from somewhere deep inside me, the expectations were building. It was probably spurred on by a free catalogue I received through the post a few months before the big day. Page after page of party ideas for babies; personalised balloons, high chair bunting, high end party bags; it made for a twitchy read. I’d only just got over
organising his Christening! But nevertheless, the urge to be an ‘exemplary’ mum, who threw the perfect, yet ‘effortless’ first birthday party, drove me on. First, invitations – how to find some that were cute, but not twee, bright but not tacky. Apply the same dilemmas to the decorations. You’ll be pleased to hear I steered away from highchair bunting – one step too far?! Party games then, yes William wouldn’t have much of an idea, but the extended family would. Then, of course, the cake. Oh the cake! A friend nonchalantly stated that it’s got to be something that could be looked back on in 18/21 years time without cringing. What a helpful friend! So the big day arrived, and somehow juggling baby groups, work and an
He burst into tears. Some people just can’t take the pressure..... impending house move, I managed to get everything ready. William went down for a nap. All the guests arrived. William woke up. I brought him downstairs. He saw all the familiar faces looking at him expectantly. He burst into tears. Some people just can’t take the pressure.....
W
ith our exclusive links with two of London’s premium mobile SPAs, you can experience the benefit of some ultimate pampering beauty, lifestyle and massage services in the privacy and comfort of your own home, wherever you live in London. Whether you are a mum to be who wants to be spoilt before the arrival of your baby (or before the party season!), or an existing mum (or dad) who is just too busy to make it to the spa, you can book one of our unique pamper packages direct. Prices start as low as £65 for pregnancy massage (or general massage), facials, or individual yoga sessions. For more information, please call us on 020 8906 4383 or email us directly at info@sugarandspiceagency.com quoting ‘bespoke spa services’
WINTER 2012
be pampered in the comfort of your own home
dark ice project Feeling the cold at the moment? Spare a thought for Alex Hibbert and Justin Miles who are currently trekking up to 900 miles across the North Pole unsupported in Winter, in darkness with temperatures of -50 degrees! Not surprising then that this has never been achieved before! Before they headed off on the first part of their epic journey, Alex very kindly spared some time to give us a bit more insight into the project. Is the project fully funded by the sponsors? No, this expedition has a trio of major sponsors plus a few supporting suppliers but Justin and I have made personal contributions too. It’s a tough sponsorship market at the moment and in this case it’s been necessary to have a combined fund. How many calories will you have to consume daily during this first phase of the expedition? We’ll be working on around 5,500kcal as this is an amount which balances the
need to have a sledge which is haul-able (aiming for 1kg per day of food) and the need to feel strong. I have previously felt a massive difference in strength when comparing 4,500kcal and 5,500kcal per day. What kind of food will you be eating and leaving behind at the depots for the next phase? At the beginning and end of each day, we will have freeze-dried packet meals with added butter and then through the day, five flapjacks and then chocolate, nuts and other high calorie snacks Are there any concerns about the food (and other items) that you are leaving behind in this phase being damaged by Polar bears for instance? There is a very major risk that the depots will be disturbed. They will have to survive a whole year, including the summer when the snow recedes. I’ve had experience with lost depots before on the 2008 Long Haul expedition and so have reacted to the errors made. The
What will you be doing on Christmas day? My family and I are having an early Christmas on 25th November - just a big meal and family get-together. On the real Christmas day hopefully we’ll be on the sea ice in the Kane Basin and will hope to have a treat or two! A white Christmas guaranteed. How will you cope without daylight? Will you have to take Vitamins to compensate for lack of sunlight? The darkness will be one of the major challenges for us, both on a personal and practical level. It will make navigation, spotting polar bears and spying poor quality ice difficult. On a medical basis we’ll supplement heavily
WINTER 2012
depots will be in sealed plastic kegs and then buried beneath rocks on the shoreline of Greenland. Bears tend to search for food by smell and so our hope is that they won’t be found. To mark the positions will be a carbon-fibre flagpole and a GPS coordinate.
with vitamins but we’ll certainly pay the price to a certain extent due to the lack of natural light. As it will be permanently night, how will this affect your schedule for trekking - will you be walking during what would be your usual ‘daylight’ hours for example? We will base our days to take advantage of any glimmer of twilight in the sky and so simply make that moment in the day our ‘midday’. As we approach the end of February there will be a lot more light in the sky, although temperatures can actually drop further at that point! Warmer temperatures do not return until April. Out of the dangers that you encounter, what holds the most fear for you? The difficult ice conditions and the cold will always be stressful but they are something we can plan and train for. The biggest unknown for us will be bears in the dark. We’ll be in a bear-heavy area and will be very attractive to them with
all the food and smells we’re carrying. Dave, our Greenlandic dog will hopefully provide an early warning. Obviously, the two of you must get on very well together, but are you concerned about being just the two of you for the majority of the time? I’ve done long trips as a duo before and I think it’s the strongest team dynamic for such an expedition. With a generous dose of tolerance and good will, I hope we’ll be ok and will still go out for beers and ski together in years to come!
What inspired you to get into exploring in general? A few individuals have inspired me mostly people who have great talent and breadth combined with a sense of awareness and purpose. Nansen and Peter Scott fit the bill for me. Otherwise, it was a desire to not jump on a conveyor belt in terms of my lifestyle - and have the opportunity to be creative. How do you adjust to coming back home after an expedition, is it difficult to be around people for instance?
It’s a very bizarre experience to return to all the stimuli of civilisation - people, food, cars, chairs, the web and all the rest. Apparently I talk a lot when I return and take a few weeks to settle back in again’. How do your loved ones cope with you heading off into danger? (I know my heart is in my mouth whenever my son plays American Football for his University!) I suppose my long-suffering family have simply had a while to get used to the idea! They know I plan thoroughly and will never do anything to put my likely
return in doubt and so that must help, although there must be a sense of helplessness and lack of control which must be tough. I’m very lucky to have a team around me who are willing to support and get stuck in! I often need to talk through ideas with others before coming to a conclusion. I think, or rather I hope, that the worrying is more than compensated by the good things which go along with what I do and am trying to achieve long-term. To find out more about the project, visit www.darkiceproject.com
The Night Before Christmas by Clement C Moore and Christian Birmingham. Clement C. Moore’s beloved poem about Santa’s arrival on Christmas Eve has been illustrated by hundreds of artists since its first publication in 1823. In our family we have a lovely old edition, which has been going strong since 1989! This particular edition was published in 2004 and has a variety of charming pictures from Arthur Rackham, Jessie Willcox Smith, Thomas Nast, and other renowned children’s illustrators of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Most of the images are from different versions of the poem; a few are from antique postcards or magazines. Santa is dressed differently by each artist, but he is always “chubby and plump--a right
jolly old elf” who brings joy to all good little girls and boys. Youngsters who are already familiar with the poem will delight in comparing the different old-fashioned Santas and the children of long ago “nestled all snug in their beds.” A charming book to give as a gift for anyone who believes in the magic of Santa Claus or to start your own tradition of reading it on Christmas Eve.
Calm Down Boris! by Sam Lloyd. Meet Boris - he’s a very loving little monster! Orange, hairy and overenthusiastic, Boris is very friendly to all who meet him, but he does get carried away! In the brilliant “Calm Down, Boris!”, the reader is asked to help Boris brush his hair ready for his trip to the park and gets smothered in grateful kisses, which usually results in a fit of giggles from the recipient. The same happens when we feed him, but when he gets to the park none of the other little monsters want to play with him because he’s so loud and boisterous. But when a big scary dog jumps over the fence, Boris saves the day by scaring him away with his big, friendly kisses. A truly fantastic book, sure to put a smile on the face of any young child and adult alike!
WINTER 2012
Reading Corner
Mobile: 07785 391 378 web: www.sugarandspiceagency.com email: info@sugarandspiceagency.com
des i g n e d by sc h e rm uly Des ig n co. ww w.scher mu ly design.co.u k
Telephone: 020 8906 4383