Help To Buy ISA. 5 ways it really helps

As I am in the class of first time buyers and will be for a while, Osborne’s final 2015 budget before May’s general election gave a bit of hope to people like me. As much as we weren't all waiting for Mr Osborne to be the hero and bail out first timers, it definitely helps in seeing a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel. 

Help to buy ISA

In My Opinion here are 5 Ways the Scheme Helps First Time Buyers

• Every little bonus saving helps: For every £200 a first time buyer saves the government tops it up with £50 monthly (Savers can earn as much as £3,000 which is the limit government pays in). For savers waiting to raise their last £3K, there's the helping hand you need.

• The more the merrier: The ISA bonus applies to one saver at a time. If you were saving for your first home with your significant other, sibling, friend etc. You get twice as much bonus as long as you have different savings account.

• Anything is possible: The bonus applies to homes worth up to £450,000 in London and £250,000 outside, this sounds a bit unfair to people wanting to buy a house over 250K outside London and not exactly encouraging people to move out of London but London first time buyers can still get some much needed boost especially with continuous house price rising. First timers can now expand the cost of their potential buys a bit more.

• Almost good to go: The scheme will be available from this autumn so first timers the sooner you start stuffing your piggy banks the better. 

• Never too late: According to the council of mortgage lenders the average age of a first time buyer is around 36 and a first timer in London needs an average deposit of £70,000 while the one outside needs about £30,000. With this scheme first timers looking to make a joint purchase can get a bit of a boost up the ladder and don't have to retire before getting a chance to save up for their first home.

I know this is a world apart from getting the significant assistance with raising an enormous deposit but if the ISA scheme is used along with the 5-10% help to buy deposit scheme it sure would make a difference.

Looking forward to the day I get my keys. Happy saving first timers!!!!

Mothers Selling Breast Milk On Facebook

Mothers are selling their breast milk on facebook but doctors warn it could be harmful to babies

• 
  
• Women are selling their milk for £1 per fluid ounce online

Breast Feeding

• Breast milk is known to give babies better protection against illnesses, however, doctors in Germany said parents should not buy milk online as donors could have infectious diseases

Why any mum will put their child through the risk out infection baffles me. I understand the pain mothers go through when the can produce milk and they want an equivalent substitute, Buying in on the internet with knowing little to nothing about the origin is just outright dangerous and risky for your child.

Read more here: Breast Milk

Recommend Your Hospital To Family and Friends Or Not?

Hospitals are dying (no pun intended) to know if you will recommend them to family and friends after your stay with them. From April 2013 NHS Patients in England will be able to speak their mind and get their views heard on the treatment they received in hospitals.

A Government initiative has been introduced to improve health standards. Patients will be able to vote online, by text or by post on a range of questions about their hospital stay and the treatment they received.

Personally I think this is a great idea as it makes everyone involved in patient care do their job better and also gives them the opportunity to find out where improvements should be made. My advice to hospital staff is, apart from doing your duties accordingly a smile goes a long way and be nice; you just might make someone’s day, which means getting a good recommendation.

To read more about it please see link below

Hospital Recommendation Initiative

Introducing MumsCenter

Introducing MumsCenter

How nice is it for  www.mumscentre.com  to be featured on two separate blogs on the same day. Click above link to read all about it. Have a lovely weekend.

4 things to do and enjoy with the family in the last days of the 2012 London Olympics

The Olympics has been an amazing event so far from the fantastic opening ceremony to the host country Team GB winning more medals than they have ever won since the creation of the games. Everything has gone according to plan well almost and there hasn't been any security threat which is even marvellous. 

If you are thinking of enjoying the last four days of the event, by yourself or with family. Here is a list of four things you could do. 

• Visit the Olympic park

Take a self guided tour around the waterways of the park giving you a chance to see wildlife, beautiful green land scape and discover the intriguing facts on its transformation and development. Please note you will need to buy ticket to gain access to the park.

Check for ticket prices on the official site here

• Visit Stratford East London:

This is the area most of the games take place, the Olympic park, village, aquatic centre are located around the area. There is also a big shopping centre there. Even if you don't have a game ticket, Stratford is still a lovely place to visit for the festive atmosphere, big screens in the area to watch the games or you can just treat yourself to some retail therapy by popping to the Stratford Westfield shopping centre. All you need is transportation money

Adult day travel card: Over £8

Children under 5 travel free

Children over 5 need a zip oyster photocard check TFL for more info

• Visit Hyde Park

They is always an event on in Hyde park some are paid and some are free to access. Hyde park will host two Olympics games competition. Triathlon and the 10KM Marathon swimming competition.

If you weren't lucky enough to get Olympics ticket, you can watch the men's 10km swimming marathon final on Friday 10th of August at 12noon. This way you get to feel like you are part of it all. Its free to the public. I will be there.

In addition you may also get the opportunity to access a range of free and ticketed attractions like

1. BT Live Event
2. London Hyde Park 2012 Shop for souvenirs
3. National Olympic Committee Houses: Africa Village and Sochi Park around Kensington Gardens

• Lastly Organise or attend an Olympic closing ceremony party: Make the 2012 London Olympics one to remember by having a house party or a lovely barbecue if the weather permits. Since the games finishes on Sunday why not invite family and friends around, decorate your house in what ever country you support to make it more patriotic and Enjoy the end of the games and the closing ceremony together. I am attending one and I will definitely be ending the games with a BIG BANG. Make sure you do the same. Enjoy the rest of the games and have a good one.

Watch out for me in Rio 2016. I might be competing under the Olympics independent flag in the women's 100m. I hope my life long dream comes true.  Wink* wink*

Buy, Sell and Give-Away Kid's Products on Mumscentre

Check out Mumscentre's brand new video

 A place to buy, sell and give-away children's used and new products. Have a good weekend

Bling the Dummy or Choke the child!

"There is a new trend amongst fashion-conscious parents" reports daily mail. The report states that some parents have been blingingfing (If that’s even a word) their children’s feeding equipment with stick-on diamantes all in the name of fashion.

Blinged out feeding bottle

Apparently the diamante pieces are glued or stuck-on to cover children’s feeding bottles, pacifiers and other feeding related items to make it look really sparkling and expensive.


When I read the article, my first thought was Woooow really, what right thinking parent will want to bling out pacifiers and why a child needs stick on sparkling diamond or diamante feeding bottle is beyond me. Even my soon-to-be mum friend loves it, I guess she doesn't see the danger yet until her baby pops out lol.  


I can comprehend the occasional designer outfit but a blinged-out pacifier is just over the top, dangerous and unnecessary.


Trading officers in the UK seized a stash of pacifiers from operating retailers in Rutherglen shopping centre near Glasgow because similar products failed safety test performed by watchdog nationwide. 


Trading standard have now released a statement warning parents of the potential choking hazard these accessories pose to children, urging them to think of their children’s safety before fashion.

Blinged out pacifiers

TS also states that once the diamante stick-ons comes in contact with water, it gradually chips off as parents try to clean the equipment; the loose bits may then accidently drop into the baby’s mouth while feeding.


As an adult and a parent I think whatever we do to ourselves in the name of fashion is cool, as long as we are happy and not hurting anyone; but a baby hasn’t asked for a blingified feeding bottle, which also poses a threat to his/her life.


My advice to the fashion-conscious yummy mummies is please ditch the bling to save your child’s life. Trust me they don’t need it and neither do they appreciate it.



Before you buy this item ask yourself this “Do I want to bling the dummy or choke the child”  My answer Neither.

Birthday Cupcakes

Enjoy the rest of your day and oh I forgot to mention, happy birthday to me. 


Read more on the article on Dailymail