Tower Hamlets NCT - March Issue

Tower Hamlets In association with Faraday School

MUMS CORNER SPRING IN TOWER HAMLETS INSTAMUM TIPS UPCYCLING CLOTHES

March 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Branch Message

2

Upcycling Clothes

3

Mums' Corner

5

Moving House With Kids

6

Spring in Tower Hamlets

9

Whitstable

12

InstamumTips

16

Visit

WWW.NCT.ORG.UK to download the NCT Babychange app © NCT, Alexandra House, Oldham Terrace, London, W3 6NH, Registered Charity Number (England and Wales): 801395

NOTE FROM THE TOWER HAMLETS NCT TEAM

The daffodils might have been here since December, and it may be snowing in parts of the UK, but we’ve got a spring in our step and are ready and waiting for the sunshine to arrive.

In this issue of the NCT Tower Hamlets magazine – our first as an e-zine – we’ve got a new feature for a new year – Mums’ Corner – where we publish your reviews and recommendations.

We’ve also got lots of ideas to get the kiddiewinks out of the house and enjoying some fresh Spring air, whether you’re hanging out close to home or looking for some fun further afield.

And don’t worry, when it comes to making sure you get that perfect Instagram snap of your day out, we’ve got you covered with a special feature from local mum and children’s photographer Sara Brown. So bring it on Spring, we’re ready for you!

WWW.NCT.ORG.UK

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UPCYCLING CLOTHES

BY MELANIE TONG

Shopping for baby clothes is often one of the first things expectant mums do, and it continues to be a source of enjoyment long after bubs is born. However, the shelf life of baby clothes usually lasts between 3 to 6 months before bubs outgrows them, but did you know that the difference between each size is only one inch apart? With such a small margin of growth, there’s plenty of ways to get creative, upcycle and reuse clothes that we love to see our babies in.

For the onesies that survive the poonamis…

In the early days, onesies are a dime a dozen.

Many are lost to ‘poonamis’, but we can make those special all-in-ones close to our heart last a few months longer. Just cut off the legs and hem it to turn it into a T-shirt. This can be particularly useful during winter for layering.

You don’t need a sewing machine, just hand sew a simple straight stitch for the hem.

We like short shorts!

You can also do this with dungarees and jeans

to turn them into shorts for summer. Denim can be quite thick for hand sewing; opt for a sewing machine to do the hem or simply distress them by ripping the ends to give your baby more of an East London hipster look.

For girls in Spring Girls clothes are endlessly adorable and you can make those cute tights last by turning them into stylish stockings or socks. Simply cut off the top half and voila! No hemming is required as tights are made from stretch fabric that doesn’t fray easily. Alternatively, crop off the footsies to upcycle tights into trendy leggings.

Ripped but not lost…

And what about those clothes that still fit but have small tears and holes? If you can’t bear to do away with them just yet, buy fusible interfacing from your local haberdashery or Amazon. Lay the interfacing on the wrong side of the clothes where the tear is (make sure the tear has been pinched together before this).

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Lay a damp cloth on top of the interfacing and then apply a hot iron for 10 to 15 seconds. The interfacing will hold the tear together by adding stiffness to the material. You can also use fusible interfacing to reinforce buttons on your child’s clothes.

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For the mucky puppy…

For those stubborn stains that won’t come out, cover it with a cute iron-on patch. You can get great deals on these from Ebay or Amazon. For maximum cuteness, use the same patch on one of your clothes to make a “mum and me” set.

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MUMS CORNER WE ASKED HUNDREDS OF MUMS IN TOWER HAMLETS TO GIVE US THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR:

Best Toddler Friendly Restaurants In And Around Tower Hamlets

Greatest Apps For Parents The Wonder Weeks • Baby Tracker • One Second Everyday • Sleepy Sounds • Baby Monitor 3G • Red Cross First aid • Joya Video • Umano •

The Chesterfield, E3 5QR • Tom’s Kitchen, E14 4HD • The Park Cafe, E9 5HT • The Coborn, E3 2DA • Giraffe, E1 6DW • Chambers Restaurant, E9 7LH • The People's Park Tavern, E9 7BT • Zizzi, E14 8RR •

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TOP TIPS FOR MOVING HOUSE WITH KIDS

BY AMIE CAITLIN

They say the three most stressful things to do in life are get married, have a baby and moving house (not necessarily in that order).

What ‘they’ don’t say is that if you combine any two of these three, your blood pressure will reach dangerous levels and your sanity will be at severely challenged.

They also say prevention is better than cure.

So, here’s our top tips for moving house with the kids (because it’s highly unlikely you’ll be moving house on your wedding day…).

Organise! Organise! Organise!

Buy a notebook and write everything down in it. If you keep everything in one place, you can’t go wrong. Write your master To Do list on the back page so you never lose it within the

rest of the book; have a list of everywhere you need to change your address, a list of what you need for the new property… list everything. Just don’t lose the notebook.

Pack a suitcase with a change of clothes and essential toiletries for everyone, along with any precious toys for little ones. This way, you’re not frantically opening every box in the house at 12:30am looking for your contact lens solution or Snuggles the Bear. (Might also want to pack the kettle, toaster and things like the bottle steriliser in a clearly marked box for the first morning surrounded by boxes.)

What about dinner? If you have older kids, Domino’s might be just the ticket on moving day but if you’ve got a bottle fed baby or allergies to consider, take out isn’t so easy after all.

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For little ones, have some of their favourite foods in tupperwares ready to go for lunch and dinner on the first day or so. (Transport in a cool bag and deposit straight into the fridge on arrival.) If that means they have hummus and pitta bread three times in two days, then so be it.

And finally, hopefully an obvious one, but label your boxes and label them well. ‘Kitchen bits & bobs’ is no help to anyone.

Get the kids involved With younger children, take them on the journey with you. Explain what’s going on, that they’ll still get to see their friends (if relevant) and that the whole family is going to the new house, that no-one will get left behind. Use a picture book with a story about moving house or photos of the new house to help them make sense of this new concept.

Again, with younger kids, explain what you’re doing as you pack up the house. While you probably just want to crack on and get the packing done, taking it a bit slower with the little one will pay dividends in the long run.

If you’ve got older kids, let them be a part of the house hunting, joining in the decision as to which will be their room and where they want their furniture to go. Little things like this will help the move feel like an adventure rather than something to be upset by.

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Get rid of the kids Exactly what it says on the tin. At the end of the day, kids make moving house ten times more stressful. If you move on a weekday and can get the bulk done while they’re at school or nursery that’s ideal – leave their toys and books for them to organise at the weekend (keep that excitement going, remember). But with younger ones especially, if you have the opportunity for them to stay at the Grandparents’ or a friend’s for a night, you’ll be able to get things done a lot more efficiently.

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ADVERTORIAL

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SPRING FUN IN TOWER HAMLETS

BY JO ASPIN Tower Hamlets Mums give their lowdown to the best outdoor activities in Tower Hamlets this Spring.

older children filled with super-high slides, monkey climbing frames and more energetic apparatus.

Hit The Park Tower Hamlets dwellers are lucky enough to live on the doorstep of one of the UK’s finest parks. Spanning 6.18 hectares there’s plenty to do with the family including a spot of rowing on the lake where you can feed the birds. But remember, birds much prefer to munch down on seeds than bread, so leave your stale loaf at home and opt for a duck friendly food instead.

Go Wild Spitalfields Farm has its Wild Club every Saturday for 4-12 year olds where kids can enjoy the outdoors, and get involved in natureinspired arts and crafts. 10:30am – 12pm for ages 4 - 7 (Parents to stay on the farm); 1:30pm – 3pm for ages 8 – 12 (http://www.spitalfieldscityfarm.org/wildclub).

Don’t forget to grab something to eat at the fantastic Pavillion Café championing local produce or the Café in the Park with their delicious authentic Indian menu.

When it’s time to let the kids burn off some steam, choose from two fantastic playgrounds: one for younger children complete with sandy play, wooden houses and lots to leap, bounce and run on and further into the park on the north side there’s an adventure playground for

The Bow Beasties club runs every third Saturday of the month meeting at the Soanes Centre at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park (THCP) 10:30am-12:30pm. It’s free to take part and each month has a different theme so you’ll likely be planting bulbs and the like come Springtime. (www.fothcp.org).

Head South Have you taken the kids under the Greenwich foot-tunnel?

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Start at the river by Island Gardens station DLR and after showing the little ones the mighty Thames river, sing and shout through the tunnel before popping up by the Cutty Sark – which has a wealth of activities for children on board.

There’s also loads of nautical-inspired fun for young people at the Greenwich Maritime Museum and don’t forget to finish off with a Spring walk in Greenwich park where you can marvel at one of the best views of London when you reach the top of the hill.

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Visit www.towerhamletsmums.com for all the latest happenings in the boroughmake sure you sign up for the Tower Hamlets Mums card for special offers and great money-saving deals with local businesses across Tower Hamlets. www.towerhamletsmums.com/membership.

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WEEKEND AWAY: WHITSTABLE

BY AMIE CAITLIN Tucked in the bottom right hand corner of the UK is the beautiful little town of Whitstable; nestled on the Kent coast, waves lapping its shores, known for its quaint high street, beautiful views and of course, its seafood.

Getting There: Whitstable is only an hour via direct train - HS1 from St Pancras or Stratford Int’l – and Whitstable Station is about a ten to fifteen minute walk (at an adult’s pace) from the town centre. It’s also around 1.5 to 2 hour’s drive from Tower Hamlets, traffic permitting.

Accommodation: A popular holiday spot, there’s BnBs, hotels and holiday rentals by the bucket load in and around Whitstable. There’s also an increasing number of reasonable Airbnb options including the Belmont Retreat.

The Belmont Retreat is a warm and beautifully refurbished two-bedroom cottage but a ten minute walk from the station and the centre of town. Bedroom one is a double room while bedroom two is decked out with bunkbeds

There’s space for a travel cot but you’ll need to bring your own. The cottage comes with wifi access, Freeview and a private bathroom and kitchen for guests’ use. The hosts are incredibly friendly and will help source a highchair if you need one. .

Things to do: If you tire of the pebble beach and hunting for crabs when the tide is out, Whitstable has plenty to offer to keep you busy.

Whitstable Castle Walk about ten to fifteen minutes north-east from the centre of Whitstable, the castle is a must. With beautiful gardens (with cement paths, great for kids with scooters) and an awesome pirate ship playground, it’s sure to be a winner. Unfortunately, the castle itself was closed the weekend we went, but there’s a small café on site as well.

Tankerton Beach Only a few minutes’ walk from the castle down a gentle sloping path, you’ll find the long stretch that is Tankerton Beach, complete with

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brightly coloured beach huts, a small café, toilets & baby changing facilities.

Antique and Trinket Stores As with most small towns in Britain, there’s plenty of small gift shops, antique stores and children’s books and toys shops. You could easily while away an afternoon (children allowing) meandering up and down the streets, popping in and out of all the little shops.

Where to eat: Whitstable is renowned for it’s seafood and is a place of real foodie pilgrimage. The famous haunt is Wheeler’s Oyster Bar, but unfortunately, they don’t have highchairs, so depending on the age of your kiddiwinks, this may not be for you.

A few incredibly family-friendly hot spots, however include: Samphire (££) Incredibly friendly staff, delicious food (different lunch and evening meal menus) and perfect with toddlers and kids. They had highchairs, colouring pages and chalk boards and although they didn’t have a children’s menu, they were helpful in finding a solution for Little Miss, even finding out ingredients for us (she has allergies) without so much of a sigh.

Highly recommended, especially for brunch.

Windy Corner Stores (£) Brilliant in every way. Great coffee, endless

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options for breakfast and brunch, including a children’s menu with everything from jam on toast to homemade hummus with homemade bread. There’s also a toy box for them to raid and keep them amused and highchairs.

Whitstable Oyster Company (££-£££) If you’re looking for somewhere with white table clothes for a slightly more up market lunch, this is the one for you. Still incredibly family friendly with toys for kids, highchairs and patient, friendly staff; the food is delicious, fresh and worth every penny.

The Smack Inn (£) This small, cosy pub (originally two fishing cottages in the 1800s) is slightly off the beaten track between the seafront and the high street.

If you’re visiting during the Spring and Summer months, there’s a large beer garden out back, otherwise it’s a lovely, cosy bolt hole with a burning log fire, board games, cards, a toy box for younger ones to tip out onto the floor and local ales in which to hide from the 20mph winds and rain. The owners are lovely and welcoming, as is their chocolate Cocker Spaniel. Live music on Sundays.

Top Tips: If you have kids in a buggy, don’t forget your rain cover. It’s incredibly windy in Whitstable and even if it’s sunny, the rain cover helps shield little ones from the gusts – especially during blessed naptime.

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Bring a bike lock for the buggy so you can lock it up on the promenade while you toddle down to the tide. This is less about people stealing your buggy (we felt very safe in Whitstable) and more about the wind blowing it away!

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There’s a great sense of community amongst the locals, so don’t be afraid to ask if there’s anything going on that weekend. For example, we ended up joining the locals on the beach for a Bonfire Night celebration rather than trekking to the big pubic bonfire about a fifteen, twenty minute drive away.

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INSTAMUM TIPS

BY SARA BROWN Whether you’re an Instamum, part of the Mumarazzi, or you’re more of a quiet capturer keeping your photos for the frames on the mantle rather than your Facebook feed, we all enjoy a bit of family photography.

More often than not, parents today don’t carry cameras with them to capture those special moments. Instead, they whip out their mobile phone, take seven shots at once, choose the best one and delete the other six.

As much as we all love taking photos of our kids there’s nothing more frustrating than realising you missed the moment or that the lighting was all wrong and you can’t see that charming little face smiling back at you.

We’ve teamed up with local mum & photographer Sara Brown of Rocking Horse Photography to help you get the most out of your family photography with nothing more than your mobile phone.

Close ups or scenery?

Mobile phone lenses are great for taking in big scenes but when we take close ups, particularly of people, shots get distorted;

noses can look bulbous and cartoon like. The easiest way to avoid this is to get further away from your subject. As an added bonus this means you’ll also see more of the background environment. If you’re into selfies try a selfie stick.

Composition.

There are some “rules” of composition which can help any photo, mobile or not. The most common is the “rule of thirds” which works best on rectangular photos (not squares).

Try to keep the focal point of your photo (usually the closest eye of the main person in the shot) on one of the third lines in the shot.

For even more impact, try to position your focal point at the intersection of two “third lines” (the red dots on the next diagram).

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On an iPhone, you can turn guide lines on by going to settings / photos & camera / camera / grid. You can also use lines in your scene to draw viewers in and lead them to your subject.

“Leading lines” work particularly well, when diagonal or angled and can be anything from a road, to a fence, to the edges of a table.

If your subject is in the middle of the frame, try lining up your subject’s dominant eye with the middle of the photo, rather than the centre running through their nose. This can make the image more dynamic and interesting.

Eyes are drawn to certain colours (such as red) and lighter, whiter areas first. Use this to your advantage, to highlight your subject rather than to take attention away.

Let’s look at an example: In this image, the ‘leading lines’ of the fence draw your eyes in; the light, bright sun flare and bright sky behind also lead your eyes towards the boy’s head; and his dominant eye, is placed on a thirds intersection (as is the intersection of the fence).

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Where should the sun be?

Different positions create different effects.

Place the sun behind your subject and tap on the subject on your phone screen for it to focus and get the lighting right (set the exposure).

This will give a bright flared sun, like the example and keep your subject relatively well lit.

To create dramatic silhouettes, eclipse your light source (such as the sun) behind your subject so that you can see is it’s light rather than the light source itself. This is particularly easy to do outdoors when the sun is low in the sky. Tap your phone screen to focus on the sky and your subject will be silhouetted nicely.

What about a wet day?

Try a photo featuring a reflection e.g. kids standing in a puddle. Get as close to the reflective surface as possible and focus on your subject. This will help the reflection stand out.

And a cloudy day?

Total cloud cover can actually provide some of the nicest light for photos – it makes for soft and flattering photos of faces.

Change your perspective.

By far the easiest way to get more captivating photos of our LOs is to change our perspective.

Try getting down low, at their eye level or looking down from above, so they’re looking up, all wide-eyed.

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Keep it simple.

Remember, most people will view your photos in miniature on their timeline or in a text on a phone screen. Keeping a photo simple and clean means people can understand it quicker.

Unfold your own myth.

Once you’re comfortable with some of the “rules” of composition, try breaking them.

Here’s the same photo as before. But this time, it’s not been cropped.

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I hope you’ll agree, that even though it does not follow the rules perfectly, it is a nicer photo than the version that does. So, my final words of encouragement are to experiment. Or in the much more eloquent words of Rumi, “Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”

For more information on Sara’s services and classes visit her website: rockinghorsephotography.co.uk

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Disclaimer The information in this newsletter is for the benefit of NCT (National Childbirth Trust) members and beneficiaries. It may be used only in connection with NCT activities and may not be used for any commercial purposes. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of NCT. The information contained in this newsletter should not be reproduced without the editor's consent in writing. The appearance of an advertisement in this newsletter does not imply endorsement of the company or its products by NCT, nor does it constitute a recommendation. However, it is always worth mentioning when replying to an advertisement that you saw it in an NCT newsletter.

NCT cannot be held liable for loss, damage or injury arising out of goods sold through any advertisements in this newsletter. Any discount offered to NCT members by any advertisement is done so entirely at the discretion of the advertiser.

Our branch is run by volunteers. We are mostly parents with young children working from home which means we are not always available. Please be considerate of meal/bed times if you telephone us, and allow a few days for us to respond to emails. This includes our agents such as bra fitters, valley cushion and pump agents, and also our breastfeeding counsellors and peer supporters.

Registered Charity Number (Scotland): SC041592 Editors of current issue: Amie Caitlin Shearer, Ioana Dragomir Copyright and UKO address: Š NCT, Alexandra House, Oldham Terrace, London, W3 6NH, Registered Charity Number (England and Wales): 801395 NCT contact details NCT helpline number: 0300 330 0700 NCT website: www.nct.org.uk NCT Shop number (make sure you note that all profits go to charity): 0845 8100 100 NCT Shop website: www.nctshop.co.uk