If you're looking for ways to reduce your impact on the environment then take a look at Faringdon Ecoweek. The weeks events start on Saturday 12th June with an Ecofair featuring a whole host of eco-friendly suppliers and organisations.
The event will be bringing together local companies and organisations that have anything to tell or sell relating to reducing your impact on the environment and your carbon footprint.
Bumfluff Babies is proud to be a part of the Ecofair which takes place at the Corn Exchange between 10 and 4 on Saturday. Bumfluff will have a stand to show off our range of reusable cloth nappies and Philippa, the owner of Bumfluff, will be on hand to offer tips and advice on which real nappy type or real nappy system is right for you.
And what's more, should you choose to buy any products from us at the fair on Saturday, Philippa will be more than happy to offer you a discount!
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Statutory Maternity and Paternity Benefits
If you are employed and are expecting a baby then it is important to understand what you are entitled to, from both a financial and non-financial perspective.
Health and Safety whilst still at work is of paramount importance and employers have a legal obligation to ensure your wellbeing is put at risk. If you are in a role whereby there could be a risk to you and your baby, for example if your job involves lifting, then inform your employer as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed.
During your pregnancy you are entitled to time off work to attend antenatal appointments. Of course f you can arrange these for the start or the end of the working day, your employer will no doubt appreciate this and is likely to be more understanding and flexible to meet any other requests you may have.
When it comes time to finish work to have your baby you are entitled to fifty-two weeks statutory maternity leave, which is split 26 weeks ordinary maternity leave and 26 weeks additional maternity leave. This applies to everyone whether full-time, part-time or fixed term contractor. Statutory maternity leave can start up to eleven weeks before your due date. If you choose not to stay off work for the full fifty-two weeks, then you must inform your employer of your intention to return to work at least 28 days before the date of return. This must be in writing.
The father is also entitled to some time off, though sadly not twelve months! Paternity leave allows you to take two consecutive weeks off work within fifty-six days of the baby’s birth. Some employers are flexible and will allow you to break up the time off over a number of weeks.
In terms of financials, Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is available if you have been employed by your current employer for at least twenty-six weeks by the time you reach the fourteenth week before the baby is due. SMP is paid for up to thirty-nine weeks. SMP can be claimed when you stop work and you can only start receiving SMP from eleven weeks before the baby is born and at the latest one day after the baby is born. To claim you need to provide 28 days written notice to your employer stating when you intend to stop work, together with a signed MATB1 form.
In the first six weeks you will receive 90% of your weekly earnings. The good news is that there is no upper limit applied to earnings. For the remaining thirty-three weeks the amount of SMP payable in the financial year 2010/11 is £124.88, though this is subject to income tax and national insurance. If your weekly earnings are less than £124.88 then you will receive 90% of your average weekly wage.
If you don’t meet the SMP entitlement criteria then there are other financial benefits available to you and these will be covered in a later article.
If the father is entitled to paternity leave, the Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) may be available. This is also at the rate of £124.88 per week for 2010/11, or 90% of weekly earnings if lower.
Health and Safety whilst still at work is of paramount importance and employers have a legal obligation to ensure your wellbeing is put at risk. If you are in a role whereby there could be a risk to you and your baby, for example if your job involves lifting, then inform your employer as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed.
During your pregnancy you are entitled to time off work to attend antenatal appointments. Of course f you can arrange these for the start or the end of the working day, your employer will no doubt appreciate this and is likely to be more understanding and flexible to meet any other requests you may have.
When it comes time to finish work to have your baby you are entitled to fifty-two weeks statutory maternity leave, which is split 26 weeks ordinary maternity leave and 26 weeks additional maternity leave. This applies to everyone whether full-time, part-time or fixed term contractor. Statutory maternity leave can start up to eleven weeks before your due date. If you choose not to stay off work for the full fifty-two weeks, then you must inform your employer of your intention to return to work at least 28 days before the date of return. This must be in writing.
The father is also entitled to some time off, though sadly not twelve months! Paternity leave allows you to take two consecutive weeks off work within fifty-six days of the baby’s birth. Some employers are flexible and will allow you to break up the time off over a number of weeks.
In terms of financials, Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is available if you have been employed by your current employer for at least twenty-six weeks by the time you reach the fourteenth week before the baby is due. SMP is paid for up to thirty-nine weeks. SMP can be claimed when you stop work and you can only start receiving SMP from eleven weeks before the baby is born and at the latest one day after the baby is born. To claim you need to provide 28 days written notice to your employer stating when you intend to stop work, together with a signed MATB1 form.
In the first six weeks you will receive 90% of your weekly earnings. The good news is that there is no upper limit applied to earnings. For the remaining thirty-three weeks the amount of SMP payable in the financial year 2010/11 is £124.88, though this is subject to income tax and national insurance. If your weekly earnings are less than £124.88 then you will receive 90% of your average weekly wage.
If you don’t meet the SMP entitlement criteria then there are other financial benefits available to you and these will be covered in a later article.
If the father is entitled to paternity leave, the Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) may be available. This is also at the rate of £124.88 per week for 2010/11, or 90% of weekly earnings if lower.
Sunday, 6 June 2010
Reusable Real Cloth Nappies
Having weighed up the pros and cons of real cloth nappies versus disposable nappies and opted to go for the real nappy option, the next question is which type of real nappy to choose? Long gone are the days of the only option being the plain, terry nappy. Now there is a choice of all-in-ones, flat, pocket, shaped nappies and many more. But what are the main features of each type of nappy?
All-in-one nappies are the simplest of nappies to use - even cloth nappy novices will find them easy, making them an ideal choice for your first baby! In terms of washing all-in-ones they have slightly longer drying times than other nappies as the pieces aren't taken apart for washing and drying.
Snap-in-one nappies are similar to All-in-One nappies however the inners can be removed to speed up drying times and to increase the amount of time that the nappy can be used - if it is wet a new inner can be snapped in rather than washing the entire nappy.
For an economical, not to mention fast drying approach to real nappies, then try the flat nappy. Fold to fit, and fasten with a nippa. Folding the nappy can take practice, but is easy when you know how. As for using flat nappies, Either use full time as a budget system, or have a couple spare for those times when you've run out of other types.
Pocket nappies have many of the best features of other cloth nappy systems without some of the drawbacks, making them a very versatile system. They are easy to put on as there is just one piece, but quick to dry as they come apart for washing. Even if you don’t choose them as your main nappy system it is handy to have a few for quick changes when you’re out, for childcare providers or for travelling nappies.
Shaped nappies come in either cotton, microfibre or bamboo varieties. Bamboo shaped nappies are more absorbent than cotton or microfibre nappies so may be suitable for heavy wetters or for use at night. They take longer to dry so you may want to consider having a few more in your collection, or to have some microfibre or cotton nappies as well. Microfibre shaped nappies are fast drying and super soft.
And finally night nappies – nappies for use at night! They are more absorbent than day time nappies but tend to be more bulky. They are easy to use but due to their bulkiness drying times are on the slow side.
Of course there are several features for each type of nappy and there will be differences between brands so it is worth investigating further before making your final choice. Remember though that you don’t have to restrict yourself to one type of nappy and as seen for the brief overview above, you could opt for mainly flat nappies to keep the costs down, add a couple of snap-in-ones to ensure you’ve got some quick drying nappies in the wardrobe and finish off with a night nappy or two to complete your collection. Whichever real nappy you choose, you’ll be glad you didn’t take the disposable option!
All-in-one nappies are the simplest of nappies to use - even cloth nappy novices will find them easy, making them an ideal choice for your first baby! In terms of washing all-in-ones they have slightly longer drying times than other nappies as the pieces aren't taken apart for washing and drying.
Snap-in-one nappies are similar to All-in-One nappies however the inners can be removed to speed up drying times and to increase the amount of time that the nappy can be used - if it is wet a new inner can be snapped in rather than washing the entire nappy.
For an economical, not to mention fast drying approach to real nappies, then try the flat nappy. Fold to fit, and fasten with a nippa. Folding the nappy can take practice, but is easy when you know how. As for using flat nappies, Either use full time as a budget system, or have a couple spare for those times when you've run out of other types.
Pocket nappies have many of the best features of other cloth nappy systems without some of the drawbacks, making them a very versatile system. They are easy to put on as there is just one piece, but quick to dry as they come apart for washing. Even if you don’t choose them as your main nappy system it is handy to have a few for quick changes when you’re out, for childcare providers or for travelling nappies.
Shaped nappies come in either cotton, microfibre or bamboo varieties. Bamboo shaped nappies are more absorbent than cotton or microfibre nappies so may be suitable for heavy wetters or for use at night. They take longer to dry so you may want to consider having a few more in your collection, or to have some microfibre or cotton nappies as well. Microfibre shaped nappies are fast drying and super soft.
And finally night nappies – nappies for use at night! They are more absorbent than day time nappies but tend to be more bulky. They are easy to use but due to their bulkiness drying times are on the slow side.
Of course there are several features for each type of nappy and there will be differences between brands so it is worth investigating further before making your final choice. Remember though that you don’t have to restrict yourself to one type of nappy and as seen for the brief overview above, you could opt for mainly flat nappies to keep the costs down, add a couple of snap-in-ones to ensure you’ve got some quick drying nappies in the wardrobe and finish off with a night nappy or two to complete your collection. Whichever real nappy you choose, you’ll be glad you didn’t take the disposable option!
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