What To Bring When You Move To Dubai

Quite often, on the numerous forums that are on Facebook, people ask the question, “I’m at home.  What should I be buying whilst in the UK?”

In all fairness, I haven’t found that buying products here is any worse than at home.  Most of the supermarkets do have the same products you can get in any Tesco’s in the UK and even if you can’t get the exact same things, you can get a different make of the same thing.  Even so, I posed this question to other women to see what they thought.  These are the things they all suggested as they can sometimes be difficult to purchase here.

Things to Think of Bringing Back

Especially if traveling from the UK with kids in tow, pick up things like:

• Germaline
• Calpol Travel Sachets
• OXO Cubes (can be difficult to get here as they instantly sell out
• Baby clothes – Thin winter hats, as here they only tend to sell thick ones
• Children’s all in one UV swim suits – These are much more reasonably priced abroad
• Children/baby Clothes – Kids clothes here are slightly more expensive per item than elsewhere.  I always stock up on the next size up for my DD whilst back in the UK and find I save myself a lot of money in the process
• Clothes – The same as the above really, you can make great savings if you buy in the UK, Europe or the USA.  However, you can’t beat the sales here – Especially if you are buying a big purchase like a designer bag.  My Michael Kors bag was under half price three weeks ago from the Michael Kors Shop in Mall of the Emirates
• Gro Clocks etc...  These can be difficult to get hold of here and as such, a premium may often be charged for them
• Reusable nappies - The ones like Bambino and Alva are very difficult to get hold of here so it is best to stock up when you are away

Alternatively, set up a Shop and Ship account and order in.  Powered by Aramex, it provides you with a PO Box address that you can shop online purchases to in New York, London and several European and Asian cities.  There are certain things that you can't ship in, Hazardous Materials or for example, videos with questionable moral standards, but much of the above can be delivered to you for a charge.

Happy shopping!

It is official - My Working is Good for my Kids

So carrying on with my theme of working mum guilt, I was very glad to have read the article in Forbes which only reitterated what I had thought all along - Kids benefit from having a working mum.

In a survey conducted across 24 nations proved that working parents not only helped their family economically, but also professionally and emotionally.

Read it for yourself...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/hbsworkingknowledge/2015/05/15/kids-benefit-from-having-a-working-mom/

As I have always said, happy mummy means happy kiddies.

People Could Use the Photos you Post of your Child in a "Game"...

As a mother I was absolutely disgusted to read an article posted on BBC News today called #BBCTrending:  Role-playing with other photos of other people’s children.

The ‘game’ #BabyRP gets players to take photos of babies and children that they have taken from on line profiles, and use the stolen pictures to setup Instagram accounts with an imaginary story line.  They then invite others to other instagram users to play the part of Mummy, Daddy, sibling etc. and encourage role play between the adults and their effect on the child.  Often, the role playing is harmless, but it is reportedly not difficult to find disturbing comments.  Instagram have said that they will close all accounts related to this, but questions are being raised about the time it is taking for action.

Personally,  both myself and my husband have always found it very uncomfortable when other people - including family members - post photos of my daughter as you never know who is looking at them.  We have in the past asked for them to be removed (with much consternation from the other side who feel we are being over protective and rather ridiculous).  We both have always had a limited friend list on any post/photos with my daughter but for some obscure reason, I haven't applied that to my blog.  The thought of someone behaving this way with my daughter’s photos has made me reconsider my actions with regards to my blog and allowing others to post her photo on their FB and Instagram pages.

Would it make you change your own security settings…?

What to bring to Dubai...

Quite often, on the numerous forums that are on Facebook, people ask the question, “I’m at home.  What should I be buying whilst in the UK?”

In all fairness, I haven’t found that buying products here is any worse than at home.  Most of the supermarkets do have the same products you can get in any Tesco’s in the UK and if you can’t get the exact same things, you can get a different make of the same thing.  Even so, I posed this question to other women to see what they thought.  This is what they said:

Buy Before You Come

·      Germaline

·      Calpol Travel Sachets

·      OXO Cubes (can be difficult to get here as they instantly sell out)

·      Baby clothes – Thin winter hats, as here they only tend to sell thick ones

·      Children’s all in one UV swim suits – These are much more reasonably priced abroad

·      Children/baby Clothes – Kids clothes here are slightly more expensive per item than elsewhere.  I always stock up on the next size up for my DD whilst back in the UK and find I save myself a lot of money in the process

·      Clothes – The same as the above really, you can make great savings if you buy in the UK, Europe or the USA.  However, you can’t beat the sales here – Especially if y  My Michael Kors bag was under half price last week from the Michael Kors Shop in Mall of the Emirates.

ou are buying a big purchase like a designer bag.

·      Apple Laptops – Whilst they are cheaper here than elsewhere, once you remove your reclaimable VAT (if you do claim back), you can pick these up globally for the same price.  The only difference being is that Facetime is not available on locally brought Apple Products.

Is there anything that you would bring?  Let us know.

Live Nation Middle East and DSS 2015 bring Madagascar Live! to the UAE

I have a very excited toddler right now as Madagascar Live is coming to Dubai!  Even better, it is on over the last weekend of August so perfect for summer.

Based on the blockbuster DreamWorks animation, will be an official event of this year’s Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), the biggest summer celebration in the region. Madagascar Live! will be showing at Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from Friday, August 28^th to Saturday, August 29^th; and will be taking audiences of all ages to a wild and action-packed adventure with two shows per day at 2:30pm and 7:30pm.

Madagascar Live! follows everyone’s favourite characters, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the Hippo and the hilarious plotting penguins as they escape from their home at The New York Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien. Relive the fun and humour of the animals and their escapades, brilliantly brought to life by an imaginative set and costumes, joyous dance numbers and spectacular songs including the hit, “Move it, Move it.”

“Madagascar is one of the biggest brands in family entertainment and Live Nation Middle East has been working for quite some months to ensure it comes to Dubai. It will certainly be one of the show highlights of the year and will be a perfect way for families to end the summer holidays,” says James Craven, Managing Director of Live Nation Middle East.

Madagascar Live!, which vividly brings to life the film audiences worldwide have grown to love in an arena production with West End values, is also a DSS 2015 official event. Get ready to “smile and wave,” as Skipper the Penguin puts it, dance in the aisles, “Move it, Move it”, and celebrate friendship with the zany crew of Madagascar Live!

Tickets are priced at AED 125 for Bronze, AED 175 for Silver, AED 225 for Gold, AED 350 for Platinum, and AED 650 for Royal. Tickets go on sale at 12 noon on Wednesday, July 22^nd and will be available via tickemaster.

For more information click HERE

#MadLiveDXB