Egg-citing Easter!

Easter may be the focal point of the Christian calendar but its origins are pagan. The Ango-Saxons brought their Gods with them to Britain, including the Goddess Ostara. Her name was corrupted into Easter and her celebration was adopted by the early Christian church to mark the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Easter tends to be celebrated over one weekend. Good Friday marks the day of Christ's execution and Easter Sunday the morning of his return to life - symbolised by rebirth or renewal in nature by hen's or bird's eggs - and the end of lent. After the invention of chocolate, Easter eggs as we know it were born.

Easter bunnies are linked to this time of year by their cousins the hare, whose courtship rituals around Easter time helped them to become a symbol for this time of year.

With 2 Bank Holidays, Easter is a great chance for families to spend some time together. There are usually lots of local activities for a great day out. Here are a few:

• Easter Eggstravaganza at Bristol Zoo - take part is an Easter egg hunt and make friends with the Easter Bunny & Spring Bear as they wander around the zoo
• Slimbridge Wetland Centre - meet the team of tame ducks at Puddleduck Corner or follow the Easter egg trail
• Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury - Forest Fables, Thurs 8/4/10. Suitable from age 5+. The ancient stories of Aesop are brought to life through puppetry and music
• Gloucestershire National Trust events - there are lots of events over the Easter holidays at various National Trust properties
• Clearwell Caves Easter Egg Hunt

If you know of any local events taking place in Gloucestershire, why not let us know about them.

New Arrival!

Congratulations to James and Rebecca on the safe arival of their baby daughter Martha on Saturday.

Dribbling Baby? Try Dribble ons

We have just discovered a fab new product called Dribble Ons. This is a bandana shaped bib made of soft stretchy cotton and backed in tery towelling. It solves the problem of keeping your baby dry when they are dribbling and is a stylish alternative to a bib. Priced at £4.99 we think they are going to be on all parents "must have" list.

Origins of Mother's Day

Mother's Day is celebrated worldwide although in the UK the correct term is "Mothering Sunday", and it always falls on the 4th Sunday of Lent. Because the dates of Easter and Lent vary the date of Mothering Sunday varies too - this year it's on 14th March.

Mothering Sunday has been recognised since the 17th Century. In those days it was common for children to move away from home at an early age to work as young as ten years old. They would live in their employers' houses and saw little of their families.

They would worship in their nearest church known as their "Daughter" church. However it was considered very important that they should return to their home church or "Mother " church to worship at least once a year. Employers would give their servants time off to worship at their Mother church and spend time with their families. It became known as Mothering Sunday.

As this may be the only holiday they got all year they would take gifts to the family such as cake and posies of flowers. It's customary now to show your mum that you love her with a gift, but all mum really wants is to be with her family on Mothers Day.

Ideas for a Baby Shower

Baby showers have been popular in the US for years and now their popularity is growing in the UK. Increasingly we are being asked to suggest gifts or ideas for throwing a Baby Shower.

A baby shower is simply a party thrown for the mum-to-be where everyone gets together, brings a small gift for the baby, and has lots of fun! There are no hard and fast rules but these are a few guidelines;

When to hold it? Usually around 6 weeks before the baby is born

Where to hold it? Anywhere, but not at the mum-to be's house. She doesn't need the added stress of being the hostess and cleaning up when everyone has gone.

Who to invite? Friends and family, and new found friends from the antenatal classes. baby showers are often woment only affairs but men can be invited too!

What gift should I bring? You don't have to spend a fortune on a baby gift. Practical gifts such as baby lotion, a towel, some wipes, or even a fun rubber duck for the bath will all be welcomed. The party host could point you in the right direction by finding out what mum needs beforehand and compiling a list that can be referred to.

A hospital survival kit is a great idea. Ask everyone (on an invite) to bring one item to contribute to the "Labor and Delivery Survival Kit". Examples are stop watch, slipper socks, headband, back massager, body lotion, lip balm, lollipops, breath mints, disposable camera, bubblegum cigars, a contact list & of course a bag or baby change bag to put it all in.

One idea that doesn't cost a penny would be some IOU vouchers for babysitting duties. These are always welcomed!

Another unusual idea is to have a baby Time Capsule. Ask everyone to bring something small with them that could be put into a Time Capsule for the baby to open when he or she turns 18.

The party is also about having fun - some ideas for Baby Shower Games are below:

1) Guess Mum's Tummy Size: (Materials- String or yarn and scissors) Have each woman pull the string to the size they believe would fit perfectly around the Mum-To-Be's centre of her pregnant tummy. After everyone cuts their string, compare the results to the Mum-To-Be's actual tummy. Give a prize to the woman who is the most close! This is a baby shower favourite.

2) How Many Baby Items Can You Name: (Materials- pad of paper and pen for each woman). Have each woman write down as many baby products as they can name (bottle, blanket, dummy, etc) within 5 minutes. Sure it is easy at the beginning, but towards the last few minutes, the women will start racking their brains for more :) Give a prize to the woman who gets the most baby products named!

3) Who Can Make The Mum-To-Be's Baby: (Materials - Baby magazines, Scissors, Glue, Paper). Have the women group up into teams of 3 and give each 3 baby magazines. Have them cut out pieces of different baby qualities and put together a picture of what they think the Mum-To-Be's baby will look like. Have the Mum-To-Be pick which baby would possibly look like hers the best! Give prizes to the winning team!

5) Pin The Sperm on the Egg - Draw an egg and sperm and play in the same way as pin the tail on the donkey!

6) Place The Baby On The Mummy: (Materials- Cutouts of a baby with tape and blindfold). Another one of our favorite baby shower games is the baby shower version of Pin The Tail on the Donkey. Blindfold each participant and then give them a paper baby to then approach the mum and place the baby as close to the tummy as possible. The one who gets closest to placing the paper baby on the pregnant tummy wins.

7) Bottle Races: (Materials- Baby bottles with Milk or alternate drink). Have each participant take a bottle filled with a liquid and suck the bottle as a baby would. The woman who drinks the most in an alloted time wins the baby shower gift. This baby shower game gets everyone laughing!

8) Guess the weight of the baby sweepstake. Everyone guesses the weight and it is written down. When baby is born the person closest takes the winnings.

There must be loads more ideas out there - please let us know if you have any which we can add to this list.