Carolyn Mandache

I recently noticed two identical cars parked side by side at a local sport centre. Slightly unusual, but not unheard of...then I noticed the number plates. One was MUM, the other DAD. My reaction was amusement, and I wondered if I would like to be a part of a his n hers novelty such as that. I think the number plates themselves are quite sweet, but the cars being the same model and colour made it a bit over the top. I suppose if they have a boy, they could carry on the tradition with a SON plate, but a girl would be more tricky... I remember once bumping into my husband's friend and his wife, not long after they were married. The couple were both wearing matching beige trousers and red T-shirts. We assumed they were in uniform en-route to work. Imagine our embarrassment when they told us they were not colleagues, but just liked to dress the same. I found it hard to keep a straight face as it seemed very strange to me. In their case, matching clothes did not turn out to be the secr...

Have you ever been bullied? Have your children been the victims of bullying? Nov. 18-22 was anti-bullying week, with the theme "The Future is Ours: Safe, fun and connected."I was pleased to read about this initiative, and although the week has now passed, the website contains some useful information: http://www.antibullyingweek.co.uk/ I myself was bullied at school. Thankfully nothing too terrible, partly due to my mum contacting the school (without my knowledge at the time), before things got out of hand. I was a quiet girl, and tall for my age, which I was very self-conscious about. I'm comfortable with my height now (5'9), but remember at times hating towering over my peers. At first it was pretty harmless, laughable really. I was nicknamed the BFG (big friendly giant), or occasionally referred to as Big Bird from Sesame Street. I grew up watching Sesame Street and The BFG was a favourite book, so I could cope fine with those silly names. "The Big Frien...

I'm very pleased "I'm A Celebrity..." is back on our screens. I've always enjoyed the show, Ant and Dec are wonderful presenters. I've realised, there are quite a few comparisons to be made between jungle life, and everyday family life: 1. Bugs and wild animals are always found in unexpected places 2. You go to sleep every night with the fear of being woken by an unwanted visitor(s) 3. You constantly listen to people complaining of being hungry. Sleep deprivation is a common occurrence. 4. Mealtimes feel like a bushtucker trial, homemade meals sometimes get a similar reaction to the horrors being served on the show. 5. Everyday has it's challenges, which can seem like an endurance test. Can you survive homework times 3 without freaking out? 6. As parents, we are our children's personal jungle diary room. We listen as calmly as we can to the "contestants" complaints, and telling tales on each other. ...

 I wrote this post last year, my little Christmas detectives are sure to start their investigations soon. This year I will really have to be on my guard, they'll no longer be Dr. Watson's, I'm sure they'll be  Sherlocks by now! I'm half expecting my son's homemade lie detector to be involved: The Christmas Detectives I am normally a ba humbug type of person in the leadup to Christmas, annoyed by all the Christmas hype which seems to start earlier and earlier every year. This year, however, I have to get into the Christmas mindset now, as I am in a bit of a dilemma... On the one hand, I am very much pro-Santa, encouraging my children to believe as long as possible (case in point, I was secretly delighted when my son briefly fell out with a friend at school for telling him Santa wasn't real). On the other, every year they get that little bit more suspicious, like little Christmas detectives, and it becomes quite tricky to keep up the preten...

"The Bankrupt Tooth Fairy",  is an illustrated, rhyming short story for children aged 6-9 years old. The story tells of Sparkle, the Tooth Fairy, who is sent to find out why children are not taking care of their teeth, and to make changes so that the teeth she collects are healthier, stronger, and sparkly white. Healthy teeth are urgently required to repair Fairy Castle. I'm sure most parents have been asked what the Tooth Fairy does with all the teeth....   The book aims to be fun and entertaining, whilst at the same time encouraging children to look after their teeth. Sparkle enlists the help of a little girl called Anne, who is delighted to assist with such an important mission. Anne, reveals that she has had four teeth removed, and is eager to help, as she doesn't want other children to suffer as she had. Sparkle and Anne become very good friends as the story continues, teaming up to think of ways to make children eat less sugar, and brush thei...

I write this post fully aware that many of you will think I'm an idiot. However, there are people who may be pleased to read about my latest mishap, as they too could easily have done the same thing. I enjoyed a rare child-free day's shopping recently. My dad agreed to pick up the 4 kids from school/nursery. I arrived home to find my brood all very happy and eager to show me them playing conkers. Grandpa, most impressively, had taken them all to collect conkers, brought them home and attached strings for them to play the game. I say impressively, as he'd come equipped with his electric drill, making the whole process very easy. Conkers, in case you do not know, are horse-chestnuts. The aim of the game is to break the other player's chestnut/conker by hitting it.  I loved seeing them all so happy (my dad included), playing a game from my own childhood and getting in touch with nature. My husband was not so impressed when he arrived home from work. Florin gr...

I was interested to read this week about the scientist who claims to have proof that the yeti is real and living in the Himalayas. The article, which includes a brief history of sightings, evidence etc. can be found here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/10384000/Yeti-lives-Abominable-Snowman-is-part-polar-bear-and-still-roams-the-Himalayas.html I, like many others who commented on this article, am skeptical about this claim, until more concrete evidence can be provided. However, I do find it an exciting prospect that a mythical creature could actually be proven to be real. After all, maybe Nessie (the Loch Ness Monster), will be next! Yeti's are known by many other names, including Almas (Mongolia), Batutut (Vietnam), Bigfoot (North America), Yowie (Australia), Fear liath (scotland), and Sasquatch is also a popular title for the creature which may or may not exist. Clearly, since so many places have their own names for the beast, it's fame is far s...

My blog this week centres around my home city of Glasgow. I've decided to name it "Glasgow rocks!" as it's a (pure dead) brilliant city, and also because I watched my first live basketball game this week. The game,  Surrey United vs. Glasgow Rocks, was an attempt to bring a little more excitement to my social life. My husband and I took our 8 year old son, who's very self-conscious of his height. Basketball seemed a good way to shed some positive light on being tall. We all enjoyed the game, as well as the Rockettes cheerleaders, featuring dramatic flames in the background. The game was held at the new Emirates Arena, and I was impressed by the building, especially when lit up as we left. Emirates Arena I'm sure many parents, particularly the ones outnumbered by their brood, have fallen into the trap of enjoying cinema nights out. Nothing wrong with the cinema...in fact after a long week running around after kids and/or work, it's often all we can s...

I blogged recently over my worries for children using the internet. I would like you to watch the following clip, about a couple who built an in-house nightclub for their teens, to see what your INITIAL reaction is. http://moms.popsugar.com/Parents-Build-Nightclub-Home-31804539?utm_source=com_digest&utm_campaign=com_digest_v5&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_3 My honest opinion on first reading the title, was "what a great idea! If I had the money I'd do that too!" Then I took a step back...I'm amazed to find that I am already so worried about the teen years of my kids, that this would strike me as a good option. My children are still a long way from night clubbing, but it's something that has crossed my mind more than once. I used to think I would only have to worry about my boys getting into fights, drinking too much, "male" type behaviour. Now I'm raising my nieces too, there'll be all sorts of different worries ab...

What are your thoughts on children blogging? I have very mixed feelings about it. My son, who's 8, has asked on occasion to start one, so far we haven't given in. I can see the benefits in that it encourages children to write, learn better vocabulary, learn more IT skills. However, as a parent who already struggles to wean the kids off TV and computers, I am reluctant to add yet more computer time to the ways they spend their free time. Following our holiday this year, I gave the kids a folder/book each, printed off some holiday photos, gave them stickers etc. and enjoyed watching them make their own holiday scrapbooks. I feel at such a young age, this is a better way for them to write about things they like, and use their creativity. I've been reading a lot on the subject of children blogging, and technology in general. Should blogging be something you're considering allowing your child to do, this article provides some benefits, as well as tips on how to keep your chi...

I suppose it's somewhat unusual that Carolyn's guest post today is by an umbrella. I thought that since autumn is definitely on it's way, it would be the perfect opportunity to make people aware of the plight of my kind... I haven't had too bad a summer this year. I'm a Scottish umbrella, so I rarely get a day off. The warm weather this year has provided me with a welcome break from my usually hectic work schedule. Scotland is such a beautiful country, but certainly not an ideal location for myself, and my fellow "brollies" . FYI, we do not like being referred to as "brollies". Show some respect and use our real name. Challenging is how I would describe my umbrella life. Forced to work in very difficult conditions, it is hard to keep a positive outlook. A Scottish umbrella will age years before her time. The males, commonly referred to as golf umbrellas, have it easier. Built much sturdier and bigger, they can face the elements without too ...

I have a confession to make...I am an Indie author. I hope you are still reading, and have not immediately decided to Google someone better known, an author who has a reputation for writing good books, a name you can trust. I'm asking you to give Indie authors a chance, hear their stories, make up your own minds on the merit of their work. In today's blog, I'm telling my story, my experiences of writing. I decided to write children's stories, as I suspected I had the skills...a degree in English Lit., Graphic Design qualification, and a love of drawing. I also have four children at home to provide inspiration, an insight into what children like, and honest feedback from my target audience. I found the stories quite easy to write once I had my initial ideas, and discovered I had a talent for writing in rhyme, which I enjoy doing. The illustrations were more time consuming, I invested in a Galaxy Note tablet and find the pen very effective for creating computerized im...

I've not blogged about writing, or books, for quite a while, and as a children's author I guess I should! The 9th of August was World Book Lovers Day, so for today's blog, I'm writing about books I have enjoyed reading with my children, and some I remember from my own childhood.  One book which will always be very special to me is "There's a House Inside My Mummy" by Giles Andreae. I often read this to my 3 year old during my pregnancy with his little brother. The book is so sweet, and a delight to share with young children. Written in rhyme, the style in which I myself write, the story never tires, and I would thoroughly recommend it, especially to any parents-to-be struggling to answer awkward questions about growing baby bumps. Interesting fact, Giles Andreae is also the creator of the Purple Ronnie greetings card that have brightened many a special occasion. My children and I have very much enjoyed the Charlie and Lola books by Lauren Child,...

I heard a discussion on an American radio station this summer regarding age appropriate fashion for women. I was interested in this, as a thirty-something year old who sometimes struggles with her wardrobe choices. I found an article online based on a similar survey, possibly the same one. The link can be found here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2355711/Women-stop-wearing-clothes-stomach-age-34-according-survey-women.html The crop tops were abandoned a while ago, and I admit my hem lines have come down, the necklines have gone up. However, I still consider myself to be a young woman, and so surely I should have a modern, young approach to fashion? Having heard on the radio, however, that short skirts should be ditched at 35, bikinis at 40, and long hair at 42, I began to wonder if my theory was right... I Googled "How to dress in your 30's", some suggestions were OK, but others had me wondering if I'd typed a 5 instead of a 3. I'm not saying ever...

As promised, I am now posting some photos from my wedding in Romania. I've gone into a lot more detail in my post "Tying the knot", so please read it if these photos interest you. A quick summary...I'm a Scot, married to a Romanian. I was lucky enough to share two wonderful wedding days with my husband (one in Scotland where we live, and one in Iasi, my husband's home town). I loved being accepted into another culture and will always have happy memories of the experience... This first picture was taken at my mother-in-law's house. The veil is being attached by my Godmother (equivalent of maid of honour), as is tradition. My Godmother and mother-in-law (not pictured) were singing Romanian songs, and look closely...you'll see my Godfather playing the accordion in the background. This next photo shows me ready to leave the house to go to the Orthodox Church for the Romanian blessing. I had no idea what to expect, I think the nerves show! My sis...