My Nametags Blog for My Nametags Ireland

Meet Our New Baby Animals – win a free set!

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We’ve been busy this summer at My Nametags HQ designing some super cute baby animal designs. To celebrate we are giving away a free set to one lucky My Nametags newsletter reader. See below for more information.

There are 38 new designs, all as cute as each other, from tigers and elephants to owls and puppy dogs. Which one will you choose? To give you a taster, we introduce some of our favourite baby animals with some amazing animal facts.

Will you choose a baby ? Did you know that when baby elephants are born they are covered in black fur? They can walk and follow the herd after just half an hour of being born!

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Lion cubs start walking at 10-15 days old. The female lionesses teach their young to hunt as they do the majority of the hunting for the entire pride.

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Did you know that there are three species of zebra: Grevy’s, mountain and plains. Plains are the most common. Baby zebras are called foals and they can run with the herd within a few hours of birth.3

Baby dolphins are called a calf. As soon as the calf is born, the mother must quickly take it to the surface so it can take its first breath. The calf will stay with its mother until it is between 3 and 8 years old.4

Cats and humans have been associated for nearly 10000 years and there are over 500 million domestic cats in the world. Cats conserve energy by sleeping for an average of 13 to 14 hours a day!

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The tiger is the biggest species of the cat family. Unlike most members of the cat family, tigers like water. They are good swimmers and often cool off in pools or streams.
Image pf a cute tiger icon

 

COMPETITION TIME – win a free set! 

To be in with a chance of winning a free set of our new baby animal labels simply send an email titled ‘IE Baby Animal Icon Competition’ to marketing@mynametags.com

Please note that this competition will close on 25th July and the winner will be contacted directly.

The Best Travel Toys for Kids

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Travelling with children can stressful with children especially if it involves long waits at airports or lengthy car journeys. As a mum of four I have found that with a bit of planning you can have a stress-free journey…well almost! All my children from a very early age had their own backpacks into which I would pop a variety of things to keep them entertained and they too would bring a few of their favourite toys.

Most of these items do not involve any kind of technology or power as some of the best ways of keeping children entertained are often the most simple.

Travel Mobile

This lightweight, portable mobile is a must for babies who travel. The VTech Pack n Go Travel Mobile easily attaches to most cots, playpens, prams and baby carriers. The light-up button plays lullabies and melodies and has a multi-colour night-light to soothe your little one when away from home. Set the timer and it will automatically switch off. Suitable from birth €27.00

 

MNT - Travel mobile

Aquadoodle

Keep toddlers entertained with the added bonus of no mess with this portable Tomy Aquadraw Travel Drawing Bag. Simply fill the Aquadoodle pen with water and see your designs magically appear. Once the water dries the drawings fade away so you’re ready to start again. Suitable from 18 months. £13.05. Available for delivery in Ireland.Image of Aquadoodle travel set

Books with added extras

Small children love being read to. Thomas is a favourite and this new book also has 10 magnetic characters to create adventures of your own with Thomas, James, Percy, Harold and all their friends. Thomas & Friends Magnetic Children’s Book €8.50. Babies and toddlers love pressing buttons and The Tiddler Sound Children’s Book €18.00 will bring the story to life.

Thomas book

Tiddler sound book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel Train Set

My kids love a train set and this new travel version from Brio comes with a special carry-along case. Chunky plastic connector pieces help kids guide the train onto the tracks, and the train car polarity swivels so that the cars can be easily attached in any direction. My First Take Along Set £29.99. Available for delivery in Ireland.Brio Travel set

Creations on-the-move!

Playdoh is always a winner in my book. This Play-Doh Activity Backpack is perfect for having fun on the move. Includes coloured doughs, tools, pens and a colouring book £6.99. Or try Playfoam – a lightweight modelling foam that never dries out. The Playfoam Go! set in a plastic carrying case includes 8 colours of PlayFoam, each kept neat and tidy in its own unique compartment £12. Available for delivery in Ireland.

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Activity Cards

These brilliant cards from Usborne are a must for kids on any journey. 50 wipe-clean cards with 100 simple activities to keep young children occupied including games, puzzles and quizzes using everyday objects found inside the vehicle or seen out the window. Plus a special pen to write on the cards. 100 things for little children to do on a journey £6.99. Available for delivery in Ireland.

Usbourne cards

Playmobil Travel Sets

My kids love Playmobil and we’ve found these travel sets to be particularly good for entertaining them on journeys but will also provide hours of fun at your holiday destination. Playmobil City Action Take Along Hospital Playset €29.50.

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Educational Packs

Add an educational twist to your travel toys with this portable pack which teaches children all about letters. There are ones on numbers and shapes too. Age 5+ Fundels Play & Learn Writing Letters £9.99. Available for delivery in Ireland.

Play and learn

Cards

Playing a game of cards whiles away hours while travelling and is fantastic fun when you get there too. As a family we love UNO. It’s easy to play, fast paced and quite addictive too. For 2-10 players £7.99. Available for delivery in Ireland.

MNT - UNO

Top Trumps

Top Trumps is a must on any journey. There are hundreds of sets to choose from to suit all tastes from Paw Patrol to Star Wars, Harry Potter and Football. Top Trumps £4.99. Available for delivery in Ireland.

Top Trumps

Bananagrams

Banangrams is the perfect travel game as it requires no pencil, paper or board. All you need is a flat surface. Great for family fun and helps with vocab and spelling too. Age 7+ Bananagrams £14.98. Available for delivery in Ireland.

Bananagrams

Sticker Books

Sticker books are just perfect for entertaining kids almost anywhere. Peppa’s Dress-up sticker book  £5.99 is perfect younger children. While older ones would love this fantastic Big Dinosaur Sticker book £6.99. Available for delivery in Ireland.

Peppa Pig sticker book

Dinosaur sticker book

Ten of the Best One-Piece Swimsuits

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We’ve searched high and low and found the best swimsuits on the market this summer. Go retro with florals or pastels. Bring the off-the-shoulder or the one-shoulder trend to the beach. Or opt for nautical stripes. or a block colour instead. Shop our edit of the best summer one-pieces.

Embrace Florals

Ditch the black. Florals are big news this summer. Zara has a gorgeous printed one-piece – €19.95 Floral Print Swimwear.

 

zara ie

Stripes & Nautical

If florals simply aren’t your thing then embrace the nautical trend instead. A classic one-piece is just perfect for lounging around the pool. Seafolly Castaway Bandeau Swimsuit in Indigo €67.00 Selfridges.

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Off-the-Shoulder

Bring the off-the-shoulder trend to the beach with this gorgeous floral swimsuit from H&M…it’s almost too pretty to go in the pool. Off-the-shoulder swimsuit €24.99

Image of an off the shoulder swimsuit

The One Shoulder

This swimsuit is bang on trend with the one-shoulder look…navy looks great with a tan but it comes in black as well as four other colours. Violet Lake, Caruso €195.00violet lake off the shoulder

Lace-it-up

Swimsuits with a lace-up feature are on trend this summer. M&S has a gorgeous print swimsuit plus hidden control fabric too. Secret Slimming™ Printed Lace-up Swimsuit in Mint Mix €54.00Image of M&S lace up swimsuit

Pretty in Pink!

Pink is this season’s must-have colour. We just love just hot pink swimsuit which will add some colour to wardrobe. Seaspray Just Colour Plunge Halter Swimsuit in lipstick pink €90.75 from Simply Beach.

Seaspray swimsuit in pink

Jungle Safari

Look for wild fabrics – tropical florals and animal prints – from earthy neutrals to lush greens. Figleaves has a great selection including this Maryan Mehlhorn Rainforest One Piece – Caribbean £179

Image of a rainforest inspired swimsuit

The White Swimsuit

If you dare, a white swimsuit will show off your tan to perfection. Elegantly classic this Melissa Odabash number is designed to flatter. Phuket Halterneck Swimsuit White £200.00. Comes in indigo, dusty rose and black too.

Melissa Odabash swimsuit in white

Body Perfect

Many swimsuits have ‘secret support’ to flatter your figure. Heidi Klein has just launched ‘Body’ a range of swimwear to give you the sleekest of silhouettes this summer. Body Cornflower Blue D-G Wrap One Piece €283.27

Heidi Klein swimsuit2-for-1 Reversible

Reversible swimsuits are very versatile (less packing too!). Seafolly has a fantastic reversible swimsuit in vintage floral print one side and a soft candy stripe on the reverse. Seafolly Vintage Wildflower Reversible V Maillot Swimsuit – Iceberg £98 from Cocobay.

reversible swimsuitreversible swimsuit

How to Manage Your Kids’ Screen Time

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Amanda gets asked all the time “How much screen time is healthy for kids?” If you use the following as a rough guide for age appropriate screen time you won’t be going far wrong, says Amanda.

3-7-year-olds – half an hour to an hour a day

7-12-year-olds – 1 hour a day

12-15-year-olds – 1 and a half hours a day

16+ 2 hours a day

Amanda shares her top tips on managing screen time and usage with My Nametags’ newsletter readers.

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Once you’ve established and agreed with your child how much screen time they are allowed, try and stick to it.  Children are creatures of habit and love a routine. Parents and children love the TimeTokens Promise Contract for that very reason! Let them choose when to use their tokens e.g. 30 minutes after school or weekends only. “I’ve been using TimeTokens with Harry (now 9) for 2.5 years – it’s just part of our routine and so simple we don’t even think about it,” says Amanda. 

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If your child keeps to the rules, reward them.  No arguments and no complaining deserves a treat, right?  “TimeTokens uses a Golden Ticket which works really well as a carrot to keep them on track.  If they stick to the Promise Contract they get to trade in the Golden Ticket at the weekend for a well-earned treat … but not more screentime!” Described as a ‘Genius Idea’ by Kirstie Allsopp. Find out more at TimeTokens.

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Do talk to your child about internet safety. Get free and practical advice about keeping your kids safe online at Internet Matters. By keeping devices in a family space you can easily monitor what your child is viewing, says Amanda. Do talk to your child about what they like playing during their screen time usage. “Find out what their favourite app is? What do their friends play/look at?” as this way you will be tuned into what they are doing on their screens.

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There is no natural stopping device for children today, with access to 24 hours non-stop entertainment.  “Try to create your own stopping device. It will make your life easier, you then lay the ground rules with your child,” says Amanda. Try to make sure your child takes regular breaks in their screentime sessions and keeps a good posture.

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Avoid using screens during mealtimes as this should be time to chat about your day. Children’s brains need time to switch off so turn screens off at least 60 minutes before bedtime and keep bedrooms as screen-free zones.

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And finally, children model their behaviour on what they see around them so be mindful about your own digital habits – like checking your phone at the dinner table!

Introducing our New Travel Labels

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We’ve lost countless flip flops and swimming goggles on holiday not to mention the odd iPod and mobile phone. But this year we will be well-armed with some of My Nametag’s new travel-themed labels to get us in the holiday mood.

 

Luggage

Don’t forget to label your luggage. There’s nothing worse than looking for that elusive black bag on the luggage carousel. We think our labels will make your bags, from suitcases to backpacks, stand out from the crowd (and hopefully harder to lose…). Why not add an address or phone number?

 

1 Sunny St

Prams & Cots

Whether you’re going on a day trip or a week away be sure to label your child’s pram to avoid any confusion when you’re out and about. Our labels will stick onto travel cots, car and booster seats as well as baby bottles and water bottles.

Emily's pram

The Beach

If you’re anything like us, everything is spread across the beach by the end of the day. Use our stickers to label everything super quickly. They’ll stay in place on wet clothes and in the sun too. For beach towels and swimsuits stick them onto the care label. Never lose another pair of sunglasses, goggles, flip flops or your snorkel again.

kate clark

Electronics

Phone chargers are always going missing in our house and it only gets worse awhen we’re travelling. You should label up your phone, MP3 player, tablet and camera whether you’re travelling or not.

suzie's charger

Whether you choose stickers or iron-ons. My Nametags labels are bright, hard-wearing and waterproof. To buy and customise our travel labels go to www.mynametags.ie/travel or see our full range of designs and products at www.mynametags.ie

Top 7 Dresses to Rock Summer 2017

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A dress is an essential part of every woman’s wardrobe from daytime and work wear to parties and weddings. We give you the lowdown on the 7 key 2017 Summer fashion trends that will most influence your wardrobe choices this year from the cold shoulder to full on florals, stripes and ruffles.

BRIGHTER THE BETTER

Rainbow colours are in. Think bright blue, sunny yellow, grass green, purple and pink…The choice is yours as long as it’s bright. Don’t be afraid to clash those brights either. Zara Frilled Lace Dress €49.95.Zara frilled lace dress

PINK, PINK & MORE PINK

Like it or not pink is one of the hottest trends this season. Anything goes from the palest blush to searing hot fuchsia. Take your pick. This  summer dress from Hush works the clashing colour trend too. Hush Grecian dress  £45 (available for delivery in Ireland).Image of Hush pink dress

THE WHITE DRESS

White is your elegant go to shade for summer. We love this perfect midi length dress with lace detail from Aspiga. Henley Cotton Silk Dress  €168.Aspiga Henley cotton dress

RUFFLE IT UP

Ruffles are here to stay. Ruffle elegantly with this gorgeous green maxi dress. If you’d rather just add a touch here and there rest assured there will be plenty of blouses and skirts with ruffles on a high street near you. Karen Millen Ruffle and lace-up maxi dress  €550.Karen Millen ruffle dress

THE COLD SHOULDER

Exposed shoulders are a big theme this season. We love the length and casual style of this number from Anthropologie. Avenia Open-Shoulder Maxi Dress  €206.Image of Anthropologie dress

WALLPAPER PRINTS

Head-to-toe prints are everywhere this summer. Full on florals are without a doubt a must. Summer Fiesta print dress €99 from & Other stories.

Stories fiesta print

GRAPHIC STRIPES

If you can’t do florals then statement stripes could be your thing. Although not strictly a dress we think this jumpsuit ticks all the style boxes. H&M Strapless Jumpsuit €49.99.HM stripe

 

 

Adam’s Epic Adventure – A close encounter…

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Remember last week when I was getting drenched by a tropical storm outside the Sydney Opera House? Well I’m back and this time a little dryer! I was getting used to wearing my poncho but thankfully I can now be back in my natural cuddly state.

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I went for a walk along this wall. As I stopped to admire the view, a passer-by noticed my nametag shining brightly. As the man approached I could see the concern on his face gradually increase. He picked me up and held me tightly in his hand. He looked around to see if anyone standing nearby might own me. Gazing me up and down he searched for more clues. My heart was beating faster and faster. I didn’t want to be abducted because I was enjoying my holiday so much! He slowly drew me closer to his face. I looked him directly in the eyes, praying he wouldn’t steal me. As he paused for what seemed like eternity I saw a glint of discontent in his eyes. He couldn’t figure out a way to reunite me with my owner and so failing to establish a solution, he popped me back on the wall and slowly walked away, turning his head towards me every so often as he drifted into the distance.  I sighed with relief. “Few! That was a close one…”

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Little did he know my name was in fact Adam, not my owner. I’m not like your average teddy bear you see. I’m on my own journey, exploring every nook and cranny of the globe in an effort to enrich my experiences and feedback some epic stories to you awesome guys. I’m sure one day I’ll reunite myself with my owner, but for now the journey of discovery must go on.

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This park seems like a safe place for me to call home this week. It has my favourite type of trees and comfy green grass. So long as it doesn’t start raining again… Next week I’ll be heading somewhere far far away. Stay tuned to see my progress, I wonder what’s around the next corner?… Until next week folks…

Adam’s epic adventure! And so it begins…

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Hi, I’m Adam. You’re going to be hearing a lot more from me in the coming months. The good folks at My Nametags decided to send me off on an epic adventure and you can follow my story on our Facebook where I’ll be posting each week from some pretty awesome places!

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I was so nervous before my first ever flight but what a journey that turned out to be! I watched my favourite movie, Paddington Bear and munched on loads of teddy bear crisps the entire journey.

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After my long journey I was certainly in need of a rest. So I found a nice lake to relax by in the sun.
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After my nap by the lake I did some climbing on some nearby rocks in preparation for my big climb up a mountain the next day.

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I know I’m still smiling in this one but honestly this was only the halfway point up the mountain and I was so tired, but I had to keep pushing on if I ever wanted to be as brave as my friend, Winnie the Pooh.

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Hey Look! I made it to the top and here I am feeling pretty chuffed with myself.

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Another smile for the camera one last time before I head off to my next destination. Stay tuned to see where I end up next…

Top Six 2017 Fitness Trends

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The New Year is the time of re-evaluating our lives and fitness is for many people a key area. So if you started in January with the best intentions and are ready to give up, don’t! Or if you’re still keen, finding out about the latest trends will keep your workouts fresh.

We’ve rounded up the top six fitness trends you should look out for. Adding something new to your weekly workout is bound to keep you motivated throughout 2017.

Count Steps!

Short on time? Trying to juggle home, family and work? Log your daily steps with a wearable fitness tracker or smartwatch from brands such as Garmin, Apple or Fitbit. This year’s wearables, not only track distance they will also provide heart rate readings, GPS route tracking, move reminders and more. Top tips: avoid the car, walk up the stairs and you’ll be surprised at how many more steps you can do in a day.

Fitbit-Alta_Lifestyle-3

Virtual boxing

The boxing fitness trend will continue into 2017 but the news is it’s going digital. Online virtual boxing workout programmes are currently available in the UK and should soon spread to Ireland. It’s super easy to do at home. All you need is a pair of 1kg weights and you can stream expert instructors to your PC/TV/Tablet/Mobile whenever you want.

Image of Boxx Method

Water Workouts

Watch out for swimming fitness classes for a full body workout. Fitness clubs across Ireland are starting to offer low-impact, high-intensity water-based group High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) classes. These classes will offer sprint and long swims as well as resistance activities to give you a well-balanced workout without straining your joints.

Functional Fitness

Functional Fitness is the idea that you strengthen muscles every day to be able to lift a suitcase, carry your toddler etc. It’s a term that has been around for a while. However in 2017 we will see new machines to help you achieve this easily. Watch out for the Assault Bike from Walverson. The idea is has heaps of cardio and calorie-burning workout options plus the resistance increases automatically as you push, pull and pedal.

Image of the assault bike

Strength Training 

Strength training will be big news especially for women in 2017. The old myth that lifting weights makes you bulk-up is slowly disappearing.  Look out for lifting groups and the rise of one-to-one coaching on weights.strength

Mind & Body

The mindfulness concept has finally reached the gym. The focus will be on taking time out to sweat out your stress instead and trying to get to grips with the deep connection between mind and body. Watch out for beginner courses offered in high street gyms and chill out candlelit classes.

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