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How to detox your home | Here are 5 chemicals I have started to eliminate from my house | A good start to the New Year

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There are so many unknown chemicals today that we use in our home and many names I can’t even pronounce or decipher if they are good or bad.  I do feel that as consumers we are not being protected as much as we think. I feel strongly that with children in the home I need to spend time researching the best for them. I have always tried to ensure that I read labels of most products that come into the home – this is tough but I assure once you start this project you will be shocked at how many chemicals are in the home. I will also show you some cleaning alternatives that we use at home.

Here are some chemicals that I look out for. There are many more chemicals on the hit list but it can be confusing but here are some major ones that I started to focus on first.

#Formaldehyde – found in shampoos, keratin hair straighteners, hairgels, and eyelash glues and some body washes, cleaning products that kill 100% of bacteria.

So what is it? This is a chemical preservative to stop the growth of bacteria, and this oddly straightens the hair making it silky smooth.

Why is it bad? Formaldehyde can cause cancers after repeated exposure to the chemical, and can be known to trigger allergic reactions, rashes, nosebleeds, asthma and other medical issues.  Also by eliminating all bacteria you create some strands that become more resilient – hospitals are now as a result facing issues of the superbugs.

#Sodium lauryl or sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) – found in children’s bath products and also in adult bath products.

So what is it? This is a silly ingredient added just to make your kids’ bath or shampoos more foamy.

Why is it bad? When these chemicals are manufactured, the release a toxic bi-product called 1.4-dioxane. This chemical easily penetrates through the skin, and can cause cancer and birth defects. It may also be toxic to other organs like the kidneys, neurological system and respiratory system.

#Mercury – can be found in some children’s face paints and mascara

So what is it? It is a preservative to stop the growth of bacteria

Why is it bad? It is a well-known neurotoxin that can cause reactions on the skin and it is easily absorbed by the body and it gets accumulated in the body. The FDA in the US allows it eye make-up in very small amounts if no better alternatives can be found – which is a loophole. So make sure your brand of makeup manufactured in the US doesn’t fall into this category.

#Lead – found in lipsticks and some children’s face paints

So what is it? Lead and other heavy metals like cadmium and nickel are contaminants (which naturall occur in some pigments). The FDA tested 400 lipsticks in 2010 and detectable levels were found in all them.

Why is it bad? It is another well-known neurotoxin which can effect learning delays, autism and other neurological problems for babies. If you are pregnant, be cautious of the lead content. There is no safe level of lead exposure.

To find some alternative cleaning solutions click here.

 To find out more information, Google can be a good source but also, Jessica Alba’s The Honest Life, and Healthy Child and Healthy World by Christopher Gavin are great reads for parents.

Travel

Travel | Phuket, Thailand | Indigo Pearl Luxury Resort |Review 3 of 3 | Spa & F&B

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Photo credit:  Seahsellsonthepalm

Spa

We tried the couples massage at the spa – you can’t ever go wrong with a Thai therapist.  The Thais and Indonesians are born with an inherent sense of how to perform some of the best massages.  What is unique about this spa is their Cocoon spa which you will need to experience for yourself.  They are these beautiful weaved cocoons set in the jungle that make you feel that either a unique tribe has taken over.  We had two lovely therapists with strong hands, and the traditional massage ending with a good body stretch.  Comparing with prices in Dubai, they are much more affordable AED350 at the hotel.

Food & Beverage

There are 7 food & beverages outlets at the hotel offering a wide variety of food from local Thai to pasta to fine dining:

Room Service

The menu is rather limited, and naturally the local food was much better than the pasta – so choose the Pad Thai on any menu if in doubt as it was very good.  The pasta was probably a little over cooked according to my husband’s taste. The children tried the lamb and grouper fish, and they were happy with the lamb but the grouper fish was not the best.

Rivet Fine Dining

We had an adult only dinner at Rivet, which was a dark eccentric room that would have been a good bar or restaurant in London or New York with great fine dining style food.  We tried a set menu of tuna tartare, truffle risotto and a main course of grouper fish.  Very nicely presented with a good selection of wines, and after Dubai prices, most of the wines seem more affordable.

Black Ginger – highly recommended

This is Indigo Pearl’s signature restaurant, and probably the first hint that you are in Thailand – the restaurant looks very traditional with the continued running of Indigo Pearl’s dark and metallic theme.  The whole set up is stunning as your enter the lake through a corridor of blue lit steel shields.  Fire torches light the path, and for the children this was so exciting – it really felt like a mini-adventure.  The only way to get to the restaurant is on a movable platform on the water that you are pulled over by an old pulley system onto a old traditional looking Thai house set on the lake.  Every Saturday night, this restaurant serves a traditional Thai buffet that is exquisite and uncompromising to western pallets so you really get a feel of foods eaten by the Thai people from a wide range of curries to desserts and traditional street food.

Children’s Menu

The children’s menu could have been a little more varied, and I think children should be offered more food that hasn’t been fried like steam fish, rice and soup or maybe organic chicken.  The hotel was subjected to my family’s hardcore food tasting – the pizza was a bit disappointing as the base of the pizza had more of a biscuit consistency.  We would love to see a wood oven pizza station which is easy to do, and the pizzas will taste even better.

Outside the hotel

We love this hotel because there is the option of walking out of the hotel into the local village on the beach where there are several outlets mainly catering to the hardcore Kite Surfing crowd.  Outside the main gates, our family went often to The Sands, a reasonably priced restaurant that served Phuket and Canadian lobster, or Pad Thai, and the children loved the menu that was named after the different Disney creatures.

Hotel & Accommodation Review 1/3 – Read more ….

Indigo Pearl Facilities for Families Review 2/3 – Read more….

Indigo Pearl is a luxury resort located 10 minutes away from Phuket International Airport.  For more information go to www.indigo-pearl.com

Travel

One&Only Reethi Rah | Maldives | Review No. 1 of 2

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Travel to  One&Only Reethi Rah

We were looking for a short break away from Dubai.  Travelling with four children who are six years and below including our 10-month old baby, 4 nights and no extra help is a logistical challenge so to make things a little easier we chose a destination relatively close to Dubai.

We wanted quality time with the children with little stress, and we decided a manageable 4 hour flight from Dubai to Male, and a 40 minute boat ride was a trip we could survive.  The relatively short travel time from the capital of Male to Reethi Rah made the Island a winner as we didn’t want to get on a seaplane with a 10-month old baby.  After careful considerations, our preferred choice for travel with our young brood was to return to one of our favourite islands, One&Only Reethi Rah, an island famous for its beauty, service and its own A-list celebrity following.

One&Only Reethi Rah

Reethi Rah is the largest island in the Maldives, with the second part of the island built on reclaimed land when the One&Only group took it over 10 years ago.  The Island recently celebrated its 10th birthday, and it saw the departure of their last GM, but with a new decade saw the welcoming of a new General Manager, Jean-Luc Naret, a popular decision, and it is believed that he will bring fresh life and innovative ideas to the island.  Jean-Luc had been between 1990 – 1995 General Manager at the One&Only Le Saint Geran, and taken prominent roles with renown hotels in the world, and now has returned back to the One&Only’s group fold.

The Island is normally a sanctuary for my husband and me to escape to without the children, and this year we wanted to bring all four children to the island, and making the trip all about them. ie. no proper downtime, no lie-ins in the mornings but nevertheless we knew it would be fun.

Villas for families

We went in low season, which is more affordable for a family of 6, as our family combination requires two villas – which are currently not attached together (if you are a family of 4, one villa will be sufficient), and occasionally we did get caught out by the passing monsoons, but the children had fun with Mama in one villa and Papa in another villa running between the villas in the rain which is not a common phenomenon for us in Dubai.  The joint villas have one swimming pool, and the villas allocated to us were located on one of the quieter bays so the children could swim safely.  Rooms are well-kept and turn down service was great as we had managed to cover the room with sand during the day, and every morning our personal Butler would come to breakfast to give us the day’s briefing on the Island and to organise any wants or wishes.

Despite being low season, the resort was still busy creating a great atmosphere at meal times, and we still had to book our cabana on the beach everyday at ClubOne – an area of the island that we just loved where we spent the majority of our time.

Food

The service is impeccable – ordering for 4 children is always a challenge as we prefer healthy options if organic options are not always available.  The children loved the food that they ordered as the menu is vast and the resort does go that extra mile to help us prepare foods to the children’s taste.  The benefit of choosing Reethi Rah is the large island can afford to have more expansive room service menus and restaurants including their own Japanese restaurant Tapasake with private teppanyaki tables, an organic Chef’s Garden Restaurant, an outdoor pizza oven are just to name a few, and more importantly, a well-planned children’s menu including blended receipes for toddlers that mums can put together according to their choice and a kids’ corner for breakfast.  To my delight there was also some organic offering on the children’s menu.  Jean-Luc, the new GM previously held a role as Directeur General for the Michelin Guides Worldwide so we will be expecting even more exciting food offerings in the months to come.

Our favourite restaurant would be main dining for breakfast, lunch on the beach at Club One, followed by dinner in the Chef’s Garden, a locally and organically produced menu that is just delightful.

Check out our post on Reethi Rah about activities on the Island and what the children got up to.

For more information please go to the link One&Only Reethi Rah

Or book with Lightfoot Travel, a luxury travel operator that might get you an even better deal.  www.lightfoottravel.com

 

Travel

Travel Ideas | Kids travelling in style with Beatrix NY

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How to carry children’s stuff

Most mothers are getting jittery about what to pack, what to carry, and how to entertain kids on long travels.  We love Beatrix NY because their bags are light weight, and foldable, and my children don’t mind having it on their backs.  Beatrix NY is also a favourite with celebrity families such as Victoria and David Beckham’s daughter Harper and Katie Holmes’, Suri Cruise. We are heading out to the Far East so we need to ensure that the kids have water bottles in hand for the heat, and they can carry their own, plus one or two toys on board to amuse them at the airport.  Also, when you are walking around the resorts/cities that we will also feature this summer, the bags come in handy for the children to stuff their choice of toys to term them to keep them entertained on car journeys and at restaurants.  Then, come September these items are useful as part of your ‘Back to School’ kit especially the brilliant cozy can water bottles that look like cans which my children love the novelty of.

If you are in the mad rush you can purchase them online www.babysouk.com or instore at Hamleys UAE Dubai Mall and Mirfiff City Centre and all Dbabies Stores and Bumble Bee Dubai Mall.

What to stuff inside these bags

We have have started purchasing reading books for my soon-to-be FS2 daughter as she is keen just to blend a few words like ‘cat, sat and mat’, and Papa has the duty to do some Italian flashcards with the children.  Usborne is a pretty recognised brand that produces affordable books and educational games to bring along on holiday, and these items can be purchased as Book World in Dubai Mall, Bookworm Stores, and Borders.