Tag Archives: Edwina Viel

Looking to get back to work? |Try these Mums@work workshops that aim to help and support mums considering getting back into the industry.

I left the corporate world almost 7 years ago but never stopped working as I moved to Dubai to help the family business.  I always wonder if I am qualified to go back to investment management again; can I can remember how to do a corporate interview, function socially in a new work environment, am I too old, and I wonder what the corporate work space in Dubai is like vs the work space in the UK?  I know I am not alone in my feelings as there are many mums looking to get back to work as their kids are becoming more independent and they are just not sure where to start.  Mums@work, is a recruitment agency designed specifically for mums, and they have launched a series of workshops to bring industry experts on board to update mums what companies are looking for, and to answer questions whilst aiming to encourage mums who are seeking to work again.

I think mums add to the working environment in Dubai.  Many of us have been at the top of our game in different industries in London, New York, Rome, Paris, Sydney, and then in the last couple of years we have taken care of our family.  I know as a person I have never worked harder or been more challenged then when I had my children.  I learnt new skills and learnt more about my strengths and weaknesses, and I definitely get more jobs done now then when I was living in London on a daily basis.  David Mackenzie, founder of Mums@work realised mums were able to pack a full day’s work into the space of 6 hours because their brains had been rewired since becoming mothers – they had become more focused and efficient with their time.

Mums@Work Career Event on 5th October 2016 will be the first of a series of workshops offering support and advice to Mums considering returning to the workplace 

Mums@Work, which seeks to revitalise the careers of mums in the UAE following having children is launching monthly workshops to give mums support as they consider returning to the workplace. Launching at the InterContinental Dubai Marina on 5th October 2016, around 100 Mums@Work candidates will have the chance to network with and gain useful advice from speakers from global brands including PwC Middle East, Bayer, Mumzworld and Edelman.

Backed by the one of the largest recruitment firms in the GCC, Mackenzie Jones, Mums@Work seeks to revitalise the careers of mums in the UAE by offering them attractive working packages, which include part-time and flexible working hours with multinationals, locals and SME companies.

mumsatwork.ae is an ever-growing platform that covers a wide range of articles including career, work/life balance and lifestyle pieces for the working mum. Regional experts with a wide range of expertise are on hand to give mums the ultimate advice to bagging their dream job. The most popular articles to date include Ask the Expert Panel, How to Dress for an Interview and Why Being a Mum is a Positive Skill in the Workplace.

Says Managing Director of Mums@Work, Louise Karim: “With our new monthly workshops and content packed website we are able to provide mums with all the tools they need to connect back with their chosen careers. We are here to guide, mentor and ensure that these women have the support, skills and confidence to get the jobs they want. We have gone to great lengths to make the transition from ‘Mum’ to ‘Career Mum’ as seamless as possible for this highly skilled and productive target audience.”

Says Mums@Work Founder, David Mackenzie: “We are working with some of the region’s biggest companies and successful SME’s to ensure roles benefit both the mums, through offering them the right choices and working hours, as well as the businesses, by providing them with a huge wealth of talent in the form of women who had successful careers, but took time off for their families.”

Becoming a member of the Mums@Work online community allows for great benefits, from job alerts to member news and offers, as well as being the first to know about Mums@Work events and workshops. Signing up couldn’t be easier, simply visit the site and register.

mumsatwork.ae has already clocked more than 15,000 hits per month since its launch and is growing by around 1,000 community members a month.

For more information and to register your interest, whether as a candidate or client, please visit:www.mumsatwork.ae

Some super supplements if you are in your thirties.

I am extremely lucky to have a doctor as a husband. (he is not a supplement expert but he explains the science to me when it gets technical when I do my reading).  We are both very much into healthy living, and we have the occasional slip-ups like most people, but we will both get back on the healthy living track to try and help our body live the best way possible. Whilst in London and New York, I always set half a morning aside to visit my favourite store, Whole Foods Market.

One of the great thing about being married to a doctor is attending his medical conferences where I often meet highly specialized anti-ageing experts from all over the world.  They can help me understand the stuff that I already know but it is always so confusing so I ask them to help me simplify some of the more important information on mind-boggling topics supplements.

Most recently, I met one of the leading doctors from LA who believes women around my age (mid-late thirties) should take the following supplements so I went shopping at Whole Foods on Kensington High Street during my trip back to London. I love the whole organic concept when it comes to food but struggle to be disciplined about my supplements – so I asked him for a short list that I could deal with on a daily basis.

#Vitamin D – it has several important functions including regulating the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body.  These nutrients keep bones and teeth healthy.  Vitamin D can obtained from sunlight but if you have darker skin, it is harder for the sun’s benefits to penetrate the skin.

Good food sources – oily fish and eggs

#Magnesium – is a crucial mineral to help keep the body’s function pressure normal, bones strong and the heart rhythm steady.  If you regularly consume alcohol, drink dark soft drinks, caffeinated drinks, these tend to reduce the amount of magnesium available in the body.

Good food sources – beans and nuts, brown rice and whole wheat bread and green leafy vegetables.

#Zinc – it is much required by more than 300 enzymes in our body which are currently known and it plays a huge part in immunity, reproduction, skin health and vision.

Good food sources – oysters and other shellfish, grass fed beef, lamb, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeks, shiitake mushrooms, spinach, quinoa and oats.

#Omega 3 – there are a list of benefits from a healthy heart, regulation of cholesterol triglyceride and the  intellect of your children as it has  a big impact on the health of the brain.

Good food sources – fish (but be aware of mercury levels and other toxins) so the best would be wild Alaskan salmon and small sardines.

#Curcumin (contained in turmeric) – it has been used in India for thousands of year, and it is the spice that gives curries its yellow colour.  It is a powerful anti-inflammatory and has antioxidant properties.  Top tip:  this is even more absorbable with black pepper so add it to your cooking together.

Good food sources – you can add this spice to curries, pasta sauces, omelettes to boost your food.

Which brands

I discovered that the world of supplements was not as ‘clean’ as they like to make out – yes, the world of healthy living has to be researched well too.  Many of the supplement companies use binding agents to club together the ingredients making a tablet.  The problem is I don’t know which brands to buy. The shelves at Whole Foods are stacked with pills with so many brands  – and choice is mind-boggling these days.

I spent time with the Whole Foods in-house expert, and Viridian came out as one of the top brands because they don’t binding agents in their supplements, instead the supplements are placed in a casing which is softer on the stomach. Viridian products are also available in Dubai.

Viridian

I am not selling on behalf of Viridian, and I am coming from a place of passion and I really want to share my research with you.  After my chat with the in-house expert I was curious to find out more about Viridian.  I went onto the Viridian website, and I fell in love with their ethical concept.  The owner of the company was 17 when she chose to become a vegetarian and spent her twenties passionately working on a Health Magazine in the UK before joining Solgar.  Then she worked her way up to become the MD of Solgar UK.  When the company was sold in 1999, she launched with a team of advisors and experts, Viridian.  This company finds the best quality ingredients, and some are organic, and they do not use binding agents.  She is also passionate about charities, and insists that parts of the profits are donated to charity.  40% to children’s charities, 40% to the environment, and she allows her consumers to vote for the charities they want these profits to go to.  I love supporting businesses like these and want to encourage more of them to be around.

Please note that I am not a doctor or nutritionist but I have a passion for trying to super charge my body. Please ensure that you speak to your doctor before taking any of these supplements.

Cuddledry | The award winning towel brand for children

This is the amazing award winning brand from the UK that launched from Dragon’s Den in 2007 by two long term mum friends. Most people know I love natural and organic as far as possible and this brand fits right in.  The towel fabric has been created from unbleached cotton and natural bamboo fibre, and it stays soft after washing.  The great advantage about the bamboo is that it absorbs 60% better than cotton with a natural antibacterial, and the apron means no stress of taking the baby out of the bath when you are alone at home.

My older children also loved the ‘dress up’ towels.  Bath time has now taken a little longer as they have the Cuddlepony and Cuddledeer – they are clipped around the neck so they run around the room pretending to be the animals.  The towels stay on thanks to the button attaching the towels like a cape so they don’t fall off.  It gives me sufficient time to get to bath cost centre number 4 as the older three are completely absorbed in their own games.  My little girl loves her hair towel, saved us from a lot of dripping on pillows close to bedtime. “It’s my wig, Mama” she says.

Honestly, a must if you are a first time mum to get the apron towel.  Or they are fantastic presents to give for birthdays and Christmas.

Cuddledry Dubai can be purchased from Bumblebee Dubai Mall, DbBabies, (Town Centre and Arabia Centre in Dubai and Muhaisnah, Al Wahda Mall in Abu dhabi), and www.babysouk.com