Educational toys -  Top Toys Christmas 2009

Vtech V Smile Motion Active Learning System

The Vtech V Smile Motion Active Learning System is a bit like a simpler, low-cost, educational version of Nintendo Wii for small children. It’s a next generation learning console that plugs straight into your TV, aimed at children aged 3-7 years who want more from their toys.

The Motion Active Learning System has a motion-sensing wireless controller that allows children to be active as they learn and interact with well-known characters in the games, from old-time favourites such as Scooby-Doo and Winnie the Pooh to new ones like Disney Fairies.

It is shipped with the ‘Action Mania’ Smartridge, a sports-based learning game which encourages exercise while helping children to learn colours, shapes, vocabulary, spelling, numbers, and so on.

The Vtech V Smile motion learning system, like the Wii,  can also connect to the internet where children can play on the web, find some extra online games, and see other children’s progress with the same game.

Vtech V Smile Motion Active Learning System | Savebuckets.com
http://www.savebuckets.co.uk/products/vtech-v-smile-motion-active-learning-system-15830109/ [more]

Sightseeing Excursions from Dubai

Contribution from the Travel Blog Europe and Beyond

Dubai is known not only for its luxurious hotels, retail therapy and city sights, but also for its desert and mountain landscapes, interesting oasis cities and its wide range of unusual adventure activities. You can arrange a hire car in Dubai to go off sightseeing independently, or join a tour group for organised excursions from the city.

Everything about the city is immense – arriving at the airport sets the scale of things to come with transfers from aircraft to arrivals halll taking as long as half an hour by coach.  Frequent flights to Dubai are available from all major European cities and increasingly more regional airports.

Embark on a desert safari adventure

Dubai is a great base from which to enjoy desert adventure activities. Most desert tours pack in a variety of activities such as camel riding; sand surfing or skiing; a trip to a camel farm; 4×4 dune buggying; and ‘wadi bashing’ — a bone-shaking romp along dry, twisting riverbeds in a four wheel drive. If you’re lucky you may glimpse animals such as gazelle, or local tribes, during your excursion, and the day’s activities are usually followed by supper under the stars.

Your hotel can usually arrange such trips for you, or you can book through one of the city’s travel agencies. The best time to go is between April and October, avoiding the intense heat of the summer months.

Visit Abu Dhabi

If you haven’t had your fill of shopping in Dubai, there’s more shopping choice in neighbouring Abu Dhabi, which is only an hour and a halfs drive away. This hot, slower-paced, developing metropolis has a more sophisticated feel to it than Dubai.  Flamboyant new hotels such as the Yas Hotel have been constructed to provide ample rooms to satisfy the demand for major internationalevent such as the F1 Etihad Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in October November 2009.

Experience Al Ain, an authentic Arab oasis city

Rising out of Dubai’s desert sands is the oasis city of Al Ain, a settlement which dates back to the 4th millennium BC and is home to Jebel Hafeet, the UAE’s highest mountain. It takes about 90 minutes to get there from Dubai, and it is the closest you’ll find to an authentic Arab city in this region. It’s a pleasant destination in the mild winter months, when it’s not too hot to explore ancient archaeological sites, but it’s also a great escape from coastal humidity during the summer.

Al Ain has plenty of attractions to keep you busy, including historic forts, Al Ain Museum, and the palace museum of Sheikh Zayed. One of its most fascinating sights, however, is the busy camel market on the outskirts of town, teeming with a variety of camels from Sudan, Pakistan and Abu Dhabi, all vying for buyers’ attention.

Go sand skiing in the Liwa Oasis

The lush Liwa Oasis is too far from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to visit on a day trip as the journey takes about five hours, so you’d need an overnight stay. It’s well worth the effort, though, with camel markets, date palm plantations, freshwater pools, rugged landscapes and mountain peaks.

It’s also a great base from which to take desert excursions. Boasting the biggest sand dunes in the world, the Liwa Oasis is a sand skier’s dream. You can join an organised tour and they’ll provide some tuition and your sand board, so you can enjoy an exhilarating ride down the red-tinted dunes.

ACT ON CO2

The following video is actually a tv advert to raise awareness of the effects that co2 emissions are having on climate change

Part of a multi million pound campaign – the act on CO2 initiative has attracted some criticism

Personally i think a bit of scaremongery is what this country needs!

People have the attitude of ignoring a problem until it hits them in the face, ad campains like this one – act on CO2 , open peoples minds to new ideas and let them know how dyer the sistuation can become if action isn’t taken!

Sacry bedtime stories ACT ON CO2

Party Season – preparing for Christmas parties

Get your Christmas party preparation all wrapped up with our guide to this year’s hot trends, along with some top banana tips on how to look your best on the night.

This year’s party trends

Christmas party dresses are always glitzy, but this year’s trends really let you shine in sequins, silk, flirty lace, soft velvet and bold statement jewellery that make for a super-glamorous look. Sequins have found their way onto dresses, clutch bags, belts and even shoes, and on the catwalk over-the-top statement necklaces have been teamed with many winter outfits.

Choose your party dress first, and then you can get on with finding the right shoes, accessories and make up to go with your look.

Choosing party dresses

If you’re brave enough, and want a really on-trend look, look for a scarlet dress: it’s sexy, sassy and guaranteed to turn heads. You could even look out for one with shoulder pads if you can carry off that current 80s trend.

As is always the case with winter fashion collections, black is the dominant colour, but this year it’s being worn with contrasting bright reds or pinks. Another key look is ‘Mad Monochrome’: a stark combination of black and white, whether it’s stripes, animal prints or other bold patterns. Don’t be afraid to try out high street dresses – remember Samantha Cameron wore a polka dot dress to the conservative party conference this year that cost £65.

If you can’t resist a little black dress for your Christmas do, make sure it’s current by choosing one that’s made of satin, silk or luxurious velvet, or is embellished with sequins, lace or gems. If you have dark circles under your eyes, however, stylists tend to advise against black dresses which can accentuate the problem, and if you’re pale and prone to redness stylists often suggest wearing more neutral colours. There are plenty of grey dresses around this year if that’s the case, and glammed up with a bit of sparkle and some statement jewellery, they’re far from dull.

Find party accessories

Once you have the dress, you can choose shoes, a bag, jewellery, the right lingerie and make-up to match your look. And if you aren’t fortunate enough to have a personal shopper to help you find the right accessories, some price comparison sites along with high street brands  now offer suggestions online for bags, jewellery and shoes to go with their dresses, which can offer some inspiration.

Get a hair cut

Your hair is your crowning glory, and always looks and feels healthier after a cut. Rather than risking an adventurous change of style you might regret, you could play it safe with a simple trim and let your party dress make the statement.

Exfoliate your skin

By the time your Christmas party takes places, it’s the middle of winter and potentially months since your shoulders last saw the light of day. Buff up with a decent exfoliator to smooth your skin, and moisturise well to get rid of any dryness.

Epilate your legs

If you’re a bit neglectful on the hair removal front during the winter, don’t leave it until the last minute before the party, particularly if you’re not planning to wear stockings,  tights or other sexy lingerie – or wax at least a couple of days before so that any irritation has chance to calm down before you bare your flesh.

Look after your feet

If your party shoes are new, wear them around the house a bit the week before your party to break them in a bit, and consider buying some hidden gel insoles such as those made by  Dr. Scholl to make your night more comfortable.

And finally, on the night…

You’ll have probably spent quite a bit on your Christmas party dress and various accessories, so  make sure you get the most out of them by leaving yourself plenty of time to do your hair and make-up on the night.

Wear some of your favourite perfume, but don’t use too much. One trick is to spray the perfume into a space and then walk into the light cloud, giving yourself a gentle fragrance without overdoing it.

To finish off your look, there are also lots of lovely products out there to give your body a welcome sheen or sparkle. Try checking for BeneFit’s ‘Kitten Classic’ powder puff or ‘Body So Fine’ shimmering pink body balm, and you’ll be ready to rock!

Have a great party, and a very merry Christmas.

Kenya Drought – East Africa Bakes

Reports of drought in East Africa coincide with the publishing of a 200 page daft agreement for climate change.

In Kenya the effects of climate change include a chronic lack of rainfall strengthening the grip the ever worsenening drought. In Kenya drought is no stranger but 2009 is set to be the driest for many many years affecting a huge area of land and millions of people – massive loss of livestock and failing crops are leading to a food shortage is fast approaching the announcement of famine in Kenya.

As the fingers of blame point toward global warming still the climate change deniers bleat that the planet is actually cooling – tell that to a herdsman watching his animals drop around him as a direct result of the drought and heat in Kenya.

Draft agreement being discussed ahead of December’s crucial Copenhagen summit is long, confusing and contradictory

Heres some contributions from the online readership of a proper UK newspaper.

References to drought in Kenya will be posted elsewhere on Top banana.

This represents nothing less than the complete failure of the imagination, determination and courage required to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Perhaps one ought not to be surprised and perhaps one is expected to understand that this “is how it is in the world of international negotiations” … but the people putting this document together, and the people who will decide the final text, have the fate of billions in their hands … and yet, who really believes that the lives and deaths of those billions are uppermost in their minds when they argue over the text?

The focus for the negotiators – as ever – is on securing the best deal for themselves and for “business” (the relentless droning on about “economic growth” in the text shows what these people really believe is important) – that is, those who have the financial muscle and power to lobby hardest and most aggressively to ensure that weath and their profits are not “adversely impacted” …

decision makers should see for themselves the effects of drought in Kenya perhaps and pull their fingers out.

Is this really the best that humanity can come up with? Do these people really represent the brightest and best minds that we can put forward to forge a response to this most profound and urgent of challenges?

Is this it?

Should have done better …

Watch out here they come again with Google Fast Flip.

As a splendid way of pouring water on buring oil Google have successfully peed on the fireworks of those grumbling about online news content being free and proposing to start charging news

We like the following response that gave a refreshing new perspective to the newspaper business.

Off to college this Autumn? Starting university marks the beginning of an entirely new stage in your life, and is an exciting but often daunting prospect. Get prepared with our basic guide to student essentials.

Preparing to leave home to go to Uni

If you’re moving away from home to go to university, as most students do, you can make life a lot easier if you pack carefully.

Apart from clothes, you need to remember study equipment such as a USB memory stick and stationery, plus all the practical things you need to live independently — including bank cards and any kitchen equipment that isn’t included in your accommodation.

Student computers – laptops or netbooks

Time spent choosing the right portable computer for a student is time well spent.  If all you need is access to web applications a lightweigh netbook is a cheap option – but many students prefer laptops as they have more under the bonnet and in reality are not carried around that much.  Cheap laptops and netbooks are now listed in detailed categories on the many price comparison sites

Student Accomodation

A lot of students secure a place in university-owned student accommodation for their first year, and this can be a gentle introduction to independent living as bills are often included in the rent, making it easier to budget.

Whether you’re moving into university or private accommodation, however, you’ll need to check what is provided and what isn’t, so you know what you need to take with you – even little things can make a difference so think carefully what you might need whilst at college. Once you have drawn up a list of things you need, ask around your extended family to see if anyone has any items going spare, to save you buying them new.

Students Buy Second Hand

Buying second hand books and furniture is one of the most effective ways to save money at Uni.  Course books are very expensive but in many cases books from previous years are adequate for study – so check out where students from previous years sell their second hand books and visit them at the start of term.

Student accomodation has improved dramatically since the Young Ones but it is still common to find battered sofas and worn carpets in shared living rooms.  Again there is a busy market for used furniture – beds and especially sofas that have barely been used by indecisive home makers challenged with matching colours and fabrics.  You should be able to find a comfortable sofa in good condition for a fractionof the price of new sofas.  Don’t forget you’ll have to arrange delivery – again save money by hiring a van and try to team up with other new students and spread the cost of van hire – check prices and book in advance online.

If you’ve been waited on hand and foot at home, it’s also a good idea to start picking up a few basic cooking tips before you leave for university – or even consider investing in a student cook book for some cheap and easy recipes.

Student Budgets

Being a student and being in debt do seem to go hand in hand, but if you set yourself a budget and spend carefully you can avoid building up scary levels of debt. It’s easy to get carried away with a lifestyle you can’t afford, only to find you’ve blown a year’s worth of student loan in the first semester.

Try not to be influenced by friends who seem oblivious to their spending, or who have wealthy parents supporting their expensive lifestyles. Once you get used to living like that it can be tough to cut back.

Still, the fact is that overdrafts and student loans are almost inevitable for the majority of students in the UK — but at least these debts are flexible and manageable. You’re not forced to repay student loans until you’re earning a certain amount each year, and most banks give graduates a few years’ grace after graduation to repay their overdrafts.

Credit cards and bank loans are an entirely different ball game. These usually have high interest rates and force you to pay back far more than you borrowed. The best advice is to avoid them completely.

Keep a log of how much money you have coming in and how you are spending it. Consider using an online calculator such as UNIAID’s Student Calculator to help.  As we already mentioned course books and equipment such as lab coats may be available second hand, saving you quite a bit of money, and you can also take advantage of student discounts in shops and cafés.

Working whilst at Uni

You could also consider taking a part-time job to boost your finances. There may be bar or shop work within your Students’ Union, or you could pop into local shops or pubs to ask if they have any jobs available.

Charity Work for Students

A lot of students find working for charity a good way of meeting people and building their work skills.  Most leading charities emplou young enthusiastic students to go face to face fundraising.  Currently Oxfam is keen to highlight the effects of climate change and global warming that is responsible for disasters such as the Bangladesh floods – working on the street you could get invloved, show you care and earn some money.

Going to Uni – Getting organised

At school your parents probably checked your homework diary and kept on your back about any outstanding work, but once you’re away at university it’s all left to you.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by timetables and coursework deadlines at university, but if you put a system in place from the start and keep it up to date you will find it much less stressful. To get organised you need to know:

• What you need to do (e.g. course work, seminar reading, and any paid work to help pay bills)
• When you need to do it by
• How to organise your time to fit everything in

Carry a diary or use an electronic organiser (such as those on mobile phones) to record dates and deadlines as you get them, and consider buying a big wall calendar so you can see visually what’s coming up.

Set up a simple filing system for lecture notes, handouts and so forth so you don’t lose anything that will come in handy for exam revision.

Enjoying yourself – Student Life

A big part of going to university is the social life. You’ll no doubt make friends with people sharing your accommodation, and on your course – but to establish an alternative group there are countless societies and clubs at university covering all sorts of interests, from kayaking to photography. These are a great way to make friends with like-minded people, and you can see what’s on offer and sign-up during Freshers’ Week.

Surrounded by Students’ Union bars and local pubs promoting student discounts, it’s tempting to go out more than you stay in. If you’re worried about blowing your budget on nights out, the best plan is to set a budget for your evening, take out the cash beforehand, and leave your bank card at home.

Getting the right balance between academic work and play can be difficult, but if you see your grades suffer you know it’s time to calm down a bit and focus more on your course. You’ll regret it later if you end up with a poor degree and a miserable job.

Using student support services

Most universities have a wide range of student support services which offer advice about all sorts, ranging from health to finances. So if you do find yourself struggling in any way, don’t be scared to use these services. They can help you solve problems and focus on getting the best out of your time at university.

Planning a Great Holiday

A selection of top banana tips for great holidays.

The web has plenty of resources to make planning where to go and what to do on holiday.

Specialist travel blogs can give you plenty of ideas of attractions to places to visit when you are on holiday.  Many of these sites give excellent information that will help you get more from your holiday and save you money – for example anyone planning to visit Britain will find this article about free tourist attractions in UK cities helpful – both as a guide to discovering  interesting attractions that are not always included in guidebooks and a way of making your money go further – we especially liked these tips which were featured on the Guardian’s I’ve been there Free things in Blackpool

But what about getting travel information and ideas whilst you are away?  Travellers are able to hook up to the internet and web access is generally very good in most places around the world.  With the arrival of improved computer technology netbooks are being developed that are perfect for browsing the web but small and light enough to carry in your pocket.  .

Cheap netbook computers are ideal for travel and prices continue to drop making them an affordable option.  More and more travellers are able to make the most of these netbook computers but sometimes there is no substitute for a good old guide book.

Holiday Travel Books

Save money on travel guides by looking in second hand bookshops – many travel guides are used once then given away to charity shops.  Although travel guides are updated regulary we find that the majority of information remains the same and some online retailers of second hand books go to the trouble of highlighting which edition the guide is so you can judge if you are getting up to date information.

Arrange holiday car hire in advance

If you know where you plan to visit it could be worth booking car hire in advance online.  Why waste time at your destination trying to find a car when you can arrange everything in advance and have a car waiting for you when you leave the airport arrivals hall. This year it is especially important to get your car hire sorted well before your holiday as there are lots of reports that there is will be a chronic shortage of cars in popluar locations.

Hunt around for car hire voucher codes and you can often save at least 10% – sometimes as much as 25% – just enter the promotional code when you make your booking and see the price drop before your very eyes.

Medical Insurance and First Aid Kits

The cost of getting well can be frightening in some parts of the world and full health cover is recommended when you buy travel insurance.  European countries have reciprical agreements and citizens can take advantage of this by carrying a free EICH health card which replaced the E111

For less serious incidents carrying a carefully stock first aid kit can be a time saving, economic way of dealing with minor hiccups.  The first aid kit should be packed with your destination in mind – insect sting relief, aftersun, lemsips as well as the usual plasters and bandages you find in the ready made first aid kits.

Oxfam and Marks & Spencer

Top Banana charity Oxfam have announced that their partnership with high street chain Marks and Spencer to encourage recyling of clothing has been a soaraway success.

Plans are now being made to extend the scheme whereby shoppers at M & S are “rewarded” with discounts on their purchases if they hand back unwanted clothing.

You may think that the unwanted clothing is sent to emergency areas around the world but it is more efficient and effective to sort the clothes and distribute them to the charity’s second hand clothes shops for sale thereby raising money that can be specifically targeted to help poor people around the world in the same way that giving a charity gift benefits those in most need.

Where will it all end?

Time was when you ordered a bed you’d actually pay extra to have your old bed taken away.  The extension of the recycling scheme is set to include soft furnishings, cushions and bedding but we can forsee further commitment extending to include furniture and appliances.  Many people simply buy a new bed because they have been misinformed / cleverly sold about the improved sleep that modern new beds offer but the incentive of cash back and the bed being sold to raise money for a charity that aims to reduce global poverty will at least mean the bed buying decision is made easier.

Rather than having to hire a van to remove and dispose of your unwanted furniture we think that the offer of the delivery van taking it away for a good cause is an absolutely top banana idea.

Blood Pressure in Adults

• One in three adults in the UK – 16 million ­– has high blood pressure, but one in three don’t know they have the condition.
• High blood pressure (diagnosed as readings consistently at or above 140/90mmHg) is the main risk factor for stroke and a major risk factor for heart attack, heart failure and kidney disease.
• High blood pressure is responsible for 60 per cent of strokes and 40 per cent of heart attacks.
• It is a symptomless condition – that’s why it’s called the ‘silent killer’.

High blood pressure and age

Blood pressure has a tendency to go up as you get older, but it can develop at any age. For example, in the UK:

• 20 per cent of people in their 20s have high blood pressure;
• 40 per cent of people in their 40s have high blood pressure;
• 60 per cent of people in their 60s have high blood pressure.

Even if you have a healthy normal blood pressure now, you should be taking action to maintain this, as this will slow the rate at which your blood pressure rises, and could help you to avoid high blood pressure, and the need to take blood pressure lowering medication, later in life.

High blood pressure and women:

UK BP charity holds it annual event – Blood Pressure Testing Week – every year in the second week of September read about last years testing week

Blood Pressure Testing Week 2009 runs 7-13 September.
This is the nation’s biggest blood pressure testing event – last year almost 250,000 people had a free blood pressure check during The Week.

Other stats from last year’s Testing Week reveal:

• 34 per cent of women who had a free blood pressure check had a high blood pressure reading.
• 72 per cent of women did not know their blood pressure numbers before they had a free blood pressure check

Get a free blood pressure check!

This year during The Week thousands of ‘pressure stations’ in supermarkets, pharmacies, health centres, workplaces and health clubs nationwide will again be offering free blood pressure tests and information to hundreds of thousands of people.

And if you miss out on Testing Week (7-13 September), don’t worry – you can always nip down to your GP’s for a free blood pressure check, and many high street and supermarket pharmacies also offer this service.