THE magazinE FROm SUgaR & SPiCE CHiLDCaRE RECRUiTmEnT agEnCY

in THiS iSSUE...

Dress your ‘bump’ in style

Christmas traditions

Slugs and Snails and babyhood tales – musings from a new mum

Dark Ice Project

Get pampered from the comfort of your own home!

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& all things nice

As I write this, I am wrapped up

warm in my cashmere sweater,

safe in the comfort of my home,

surrounded by Christmas presents

waiting to be wrapped. The

same cannot be said for two

intrepid explorers, who are

currently embarking on phase

one of a project to conquer

the North Pole in Winter.

Facing complete darkness,

temperatures of -50 degrees

and over 900 miles to cover

in this phase alone, Alex

Hibbert and Justin Miles are

attempting to reach the

North Pole unsupported in

2014, something which has

never been achieved! You

can read more about the

Dark Ice Project in this issue and due to

this wonderful age of modern

technology, you can even keep up to

date with the project on Twitter!

I love this time of year, it’s a time to

behave like a big kid and enjoy all the

decorations, lights, cheesy Christmas

films and to spend time with loved ones.

Each year, I like to make an advent

calendar for the family, where each day

has a ‘question’ about Christmas, with

the answer being on a strip of paper

with some chocolate and a cringeworthy

Christmas related joke! Now that my

children are grown up, I did wonder if I

should bother this year, but I’m happy to

say the Christmas spirit lives on and the

advent calendar was created again this

year and there’s even a picture to prove it!

As always, we have had great support

for the magazine and we would like to

thank everyone for their help, in

particular, Sara at Madderson London,

Alex Hibbert from the Dark Ice Project,

and our regular columnist Kathryn and

her little man, William (who is getting so

big now!).

Don’t forget, if you want to book a

Nanny or Maternity Nurse, then please

get in touch, we would love to help you

find that special person for your family

and we have some fantastic candidates

to choose from. For a limited time, we

are also pleased to offer a special

15% discount off any of our bespoke

childcare packages featured on our

website, if booked before the end of

January 2013. Just quote WinT01 when

registering online, or when speaking to

one of our friendly consultants.

Baby, it’s cold outside....

if the thought of a christmas advent, is too much for you to

contemplate, but you’d still like to have a

Christmas tradition, what about starting

a Christmas yearbook? This wonderful

product I’ve just found named,

appropriately ‘The Christmas

Yearbook’ does it all for you - basically,

it’s a glorified photo album, but this

takes it a little further and lines up all

your Christmas family pictures so you

can see how everyone changes over the

years (and how many new additions

come along too!). You could create your

own from scrap, or you can cheat and

buy one! I’ve recently come across a

fantastic product called ‘The Christmas

Yearbook’ that does it all for you. It’s

basically a book of templates to fill in

each year.

There is room for the year, a photo,

the names of everyone you are spending

Christmas with, a brief description

(things like where you were, what you

played/watched, who cooked etc) and

then on one of the sides, a place for

everyone (family and friends) to write

christmas traditions....

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a short message mentioning anything

momentous that has happened that

year or something being planned for

the forthcoming year.

It’s kind of where you’d say, ‘Ruth

& James are over from Oz with the

dynamic duo!’ ‘It’s the puppy’s first

Christmas and he likes to eat all the

paper’.....you get the general idea...

You can get a copy of the Christmas

Yearbook from

www.darlinganddarling.co.uk

With our Winter being more soggy than crisp White snoW, here are some tips to help you create the Wonderful feel of a perfect Winter....

l You can make some lovely simple melting snowman cookies,

basically follow your favourite recipe, then decorate with white

icing, topped off with a slightly gooey marshmallow and

decorate with some black icing to make the snowman look

as if it’s melting!

l Instead of a gingerbread house, why not make a sugar cube

castle - use empty kitchen roll holders for the frames for the

turrets, and ‘build’ the castle with sugar cubes and icing. In past

years, I’ve decorated the castle with creeping ivy using green

icing and I usually drape mini fairy lights/decorations around it

for extra special touch of ‘bling’!

l If you want to make simple inexpensive gifts for friends, why

not make a hot chocolate snowman tower? Get 3 small empty

jars (baby food jars are perfect) and sterilise them. Then fill the

bottom two with chocolate powder, the top one with mini

marshmallows and then draw a couple of ‘buttons’ on the

middle one and a snowman face on the top one. Create a hat

for the top with some black card, and tie a little bit of material

around the ‘neck’ of the second jar for the scarf et voilà

“snowman tower”!

winter fun....

Madderson London creates beautiful

statement pieces for women who want

to celebrate their pregnant curves while

retaining a fabulous sense of style. We

caught up with founder of the brand,

Sara Madderson to find out what

inspired her to launch the luxury brand...

What was the inspiration behind madderson?I love clothes, and there have been many

times when I’ve seen an item of clothing

and thought ‘I HAVE to have that!’. When

I was pregnant, there were very limited

choices available to working women who

wanted to look stylish and professional,

and all of my maternity purchases were

based on practicality rather than that

‘must-have’ feeling. It didn’t seem fair that

we should miss out on that excitement

for nine months and so I set about trying

to recreate it in maternity wear.

What were you doing before you launched the brand?I was a banker. I joined an American

bank right out of university and stayed

there until I had my son, Paddy. The

trading floor was a bit of a catwalk and

my job (and business trips to New York)

did great things for my wardrobe and

shoe collection! On a less shallow note,

it gave me the chance to meet and

analyse hundreds of businesses and

gave me a great commercial grounding.

What makes your product stand out from other maternity Wear?There are many companies out there

that make great maternity basics at

varied price-points. Madderson London

seeks to hunt down and use gorgeous

embellishments and striking prints for

style-conscious women who are used

to wearing beautiful statement clothes

pre-pregnancy. Rather than play it safe,

we start with the special: luxe details

that transform the perception of

maternity wear.

Describe your fashion style.Elegant; classic with a twist; style over

fashion; invest in great pieces and wear,

wear, wear them.

coffee with sara madderson

We are delighted to

introduce Bridget, one of our wonderful Nannies,

who you can book directly

through Sugar & Spice.

Originally from South Africa,

Bridget is 26 years old, Level 3

qualified and has been

working with children and

their families since 2004.

Bridget has a wonderful, warm

personality, and is a huge fan of the

outdoors. As well as being Level 3

qualified, Bridget is also qualified as a

Post Natal Carer and has trained in

breast-feeding and sleep training too.

Bridget runs her own Baby Massage

class one day weekly, so is looking to

work for 4 days a week as a Nanny,

based in South West London. If you

would like to book Bridget for your

nanny vacancy, then email us at info@sugarandspiceagency.com and let us

know your requirements.

CandidateProfile

4 favourite things in life.My family & friends, good wine

(especially claret), fashion, and nice

hotels (without the kids!).

What would your ideal weekend consist of?Hanging out with my husband and children,

preferably outdoors. A low-key dinner with

my husband (and friends) and a good

bottle of wine, and curling up with a box-

set, or Downton Abbey on Sunday night!

guilty pleasure?Chocolate. Always. And chic-lit. Since my

banker days of having to read dry financial

reports for work, I’m afraid my taste in

books has become very low-brow…!

Favourite book?The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

(from my more literary days).

Favourite film/DVD?The Age of Innocence again … and The

Sound of Music. My poor 21 month old

son is now obsessed with the latter too!

Fail safe dinner party dish?Anything that can be stuck in the oven

for hours and withstand the inevitable

delay in serving up as everyone gets

tipsy. Boeuf bourguignon is a particular

favourite.

any tips for working parents?I was going to ask the same question!

For me, it’s been helpful to

compartmentalise family and work

where possible. Get as much help as you

can afford – not just childcare but

support like housekeeping, so chores

don’t erode all your family time. And

most important, try not to feel guilty all

the time (almost impossible).

www.maddersonlondon.com

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It’s good fun being one. Every day is

an adventure, every place is a new

frontier, every new object is full of

possibilities. A whole year has spun by in

a whirlwind, and as William approached

his first birthday, I reflected on how

many firsts there had been, and just how

many were still to come. But there

wasn’t too much time to languidly

philosophise over such things; I had a

birthday party to organise!

There’s nothing like party planning to

put the pressure on. “Oh, we’re just

going to have a small family tea party,” I

told people, but from somewhere deep

inside me, the expectations were

building. It was probably spurred on by a

free catalogue I received through the

post a few months before the big day.

Page after page of party ideas for

babies; personalised balloons, high chair

bunting, high end party bags; it made for

a twitchy read. I’d only just got over

organising his

Christening! But

nevertheless, the urge

to be an ‘exemplary’

mum, who threw the

perfect, yet ‘effortless’

first birthday party,

drove me on.

First, invitations – how to find some

that were cute, but not twee, bright but

not tacky. Apply the same dilemmas to

the decorations. You’ll be pleased to

hear I steered away from highchair

bunting – one step too far?! Party games

then, yes William wouldn’t have much of

an idea, but the extended family would.

Then, of course, the cake. Oh the cake! A

friend nonchalantly stated that it’s got to

be something that could be looked back

on in 18/21 years time without cringing.

What a helpful friend!

So the big day arrived, and somehow

juggling baby groups, work and an

impending house move, I managed to

get everything ready. William went down

for a nap. All the guests arrived. William

woke up. I brought him downstairs. He

saw all the familiar faces looking at him

expectantly. He burst into tears.

Some people just can’t take the

pressure.....

Slugs and snails and babyhood talesmusings from a new mum by Kathryn Pople

He burst into tears. Some people just can’t take the pressure.....

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With our exclusive links with two of london’s premium mobile

sPAs, you can experience the benefit of some ultimate pampering beauty, lifestyle and massage services in the privacy and comfort of your own home, wherever you live in london. whether you are a mum to be who wants to be spoilt before the arrival of your baby (or before the party season!), or an existing mum (or dad) who is just too busy to make it to the spa, you can book one of our unique pamper packages direct. Prices start as low as £65 for pregnancy massage (or general massage), facials, or individual yoga sessions. For more information, please call us on 020 8906 4383 or email us directly at info@sugarandspiceagency.com quoting ‘bespoke spa services’

be pampered in the comfort of your own home

feeling the cold at the moment? Spare a thought for Alex Hibbert and

Justin Miles who are currently trekking

up to 900 miles across the North Pole

unsupported in Winter, in darkness with

temperatures of -50 degrees! Not

surprising then that this has never been

achieved before! Before they headed off

on the first part of their epic journey,

Alex very kindly spared some time to give

us a bit more insight into the project.

is the project fully funded by the sponsors?No, this expedition has a trio of major

sponsors plus a few supporting suppliers

but Justin and I have made personal

contributions too. It’s a tough

sponsorship market at the moment and

in this case it’s been necessary to have a

combined fund.

How many calories will you have to consume daily during this first phase of the expedition?We’ll be working on around 5,500kcal as

this is an amount which balances the

dark ice project

need to have a sledge which is haul-able

(aiming for 1kg per day of food) and the

need to feel strong. I have previously felt

a massive difference in strength when

comparing 4,500kcal and 5,500kcal

per day.

What kind of food will you be eating and leaving behind at the depots for the next phase?At the beginning and end of each day,

we will have freeze-dried packet meals

with added butter and then through the

day, five flapjacks and then chocolate,

nuts and other high calorie snacks

are there any concerns about the food (and other items) that you are leaving behind in this phase being damaged by Polar bears for instance?There is a very major risk that the

depots will be disturbed. They will have

to survive a whole year, including the

summer when the snow recedes. I’ve

had experience with lost depots before

on the 2008 Long Haul expedition and

so have reacted to the errors made. The

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with vitamins but we’ll certainly pay the

price to a certain extent due to the lack

of natural light.

as it will be permanently night, how will this affect your schedule for trekking - will you be walking during what would be your usual ‘daylight’ hours for example?We will base our days to take advantage

of any glimmer of twilight in the sky and

so simply make that moment in the day

our ‘midday’. As we approach the end of

February there will be a lot more light in

the sky, although temperatures can

actually drop further at that point!

Warmer temperatures do not return

until April.

Out of the dangers that you encounter, what holds the most fear for you?The difficult ice conditions and the cold

will always be stressful but they are

something we can plan and train for. The

biggest unknown for us will be bears in

the dark. We’ll be in a bear-heavy area

and will be very attractive to them with

depots will be in sealed plastic kegs and

then buried beneath rocks on the

shoreline of Greenland. Bears tend to

search for food by smell and so our

hope is that they won’t be found. To

mark the positions will be a carbon-fibre

flagpole and a GPS coordinate.

What will you be doing on Christmas day?My family and I are having an early

Christmas on 25th November - just a big

meal and family get-together. On the

real Christmas day hopefully we’ll be on

the sea ice in the Kane Basin and will

hope to have a treat or two! A white

Christmas guaranteed.

How will you cope without daylight? Will you have to take Vitamins to compensate for lack of sunlight?The darkness will be one of the major

challenges for us, both on a personal

and practical level. It will make

navigation, spotting polar bears and

spying poor quality ice difficult. On a

medical basis we’ll supplement heavily

all the food and smells we’re carrying.

Dave, our Greenlandic dog will hopefully

provide an early warning.

Obviously, the two of you must get on very well together, but are you concerned about being just the two of you for the majority of the time?I’ve done long trips as a duo before and I

think it’s the strongest team dynamic for

such an expedition. With a generous

dose of tolerance and good will, I hope

we’ll be ok and will still go out for beers

and ski together in years to come!

What inspired you to get into exploring in general?A few individuals have inspired me -

mostly people who have great talent and

breadth combined with a sense of

awareness and purpose. Nansen and

Peter Scott fit the bill for me. Otherwise,

it was a desire to not jump on a conveyor

belt in terms of my lifestyle - and have

the opportunity to be creative.

How do you adjust to coming back home after an expedition, is it difficult to be around people for instance?

It’s a very bizarre experience to return to

all the stimuli of civilisation - people, food,

cars, chairs, the web and all the rest.

Apparently I talk a lot when I return and

take a few weeks to settle back in again’.

How do your loved ones cope with you heading off into danger? (i know my heart is in my mouth whenever my son plays american Football for his University!)I suppose my long-suffering family have

simply had a while to get used to the

idea! They know I plan thoroughly and

will never do anything to put my likely

return in doubt and so that must help,

although there must be a sense of

helplessness and lack of control which

must be tough. I’m very lucky to have

a team around me who are willing to

support and get stuck in! I often need

to talk through ideas with others before

coming to a conclusion. I think, or rather

I hope, that the worrying is more than

compensated by the good things which

go along with what I do and am trying

to achieve long-term.

To find out more about the project, visit

www.darkiceproject.com

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The night Before Christmas by

Clement C Moore and

Christian Birmingham.

Clement C. Moore’s

beloved poem about

Santa’s arrival on

Christmas Eve has

been illustrated by

hundreds of artists

since its first

publication in 1823. In

our family we have a lovely old edition,

which has been going strong since 1989!

This particular edition was published in

2004 and has a variety of charming

pictures from Arthur Rackham, Jessie

Willcox Smith, Thomas Nast, and other

renowned children’s illustrators of the

late 19th and early 20th centuries. Most

of the images are from different

versions of the poem; a few are from

antique postcards or magazines. Santa is

dressed differently by each artist, but he

is always “chubby and plump--a right

jolly old elf” who brings joy

to all good little girls and

boys. Youngsters who are

already familiar with the

poem will delight in

comparing the different

old-fashioned Santas and

the children of long ago

“nestled all snug in their

beds.” A charming book to

give as a gift for anyone

who believes in the magic of Santa Claus

or to start your own tradition of reading

it on Christmas Eve.

Reading CornerCalm Down Boris! by Sam Lloyd.

Meet Boris - he’s a

very loving little

monster! Orange,

hairy and over-

enthusiastic, Boris is

very friendly to all

who meet him, but

he does get carried

away! In the brilliant “Calm Down, Boris!”,

the reader is asked to help Boris brush

his hair ready for his trip to the park -

and gets smothered in grateful kisses,

which usually results in a fit of giggles

from the recipient. The same happens

when we feed him, but when he gets to

the park none of the other little

monsters want to play with him because

he’s so loud and boisterous. But when a

big scary dog jumps over the fence,

Boris saves the day by scaring him away

with his big, friendly kisses. A truly

fantastic book, sure to put a smile on the

face of any young child and adult alike!

Telephone: 020 8906 4383

Mobile: 07785 391 378

web: www.sugarandspiceagency.com

email: info@sugarandspiceagency.com

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