By creating this book called ‘Once upon a time’ we are fundraising for Save the Children. The profit of all book sales will be donated to the charity.

Once upon a time by Seventeen parent bloggers | Make Your Own Book

Thank you to all parent bloggers who took part in this story book for their time, creativity and empathy! Together we made it happen!

Now it’s onto you! We are raising money for those kids, born with the challenge to survive. Let’s help them write a better story of their life, one that will make them smile!

Besides, the book is funny and colourfil, making it the perfect Christmas gift for a child. You can view and purchase the book HERE.

‘Save the Children works in more than 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential.’

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Her curiosity and excitement escalated even further when she realised the whole The Magical Journey (that’s the name of the book) was about her. Being nearly 4-year old she can easily find her name written in a text, so guessing that she is actually the hero in the story made her grab my hand and ask me to read it that very moment!

The original text in French is really a beautifully written poem. It’s written by Jorge Semprun, a very famous international author and film writer. My daughter sank herself into the magical journey, but I have to confess, I immersed myself into the story, too. The concept grabbed me – making books with beautiful stories where the children are in the centre to not only make them feel flattered, but to also encourage their imagination and self-confidence.

And here is the other story – that of Stephanie and Megan who founded the Unique Editions company. This is a story of two friends, Stephanie and Megan, one French and one South African, who met in Hamburg. When theirs kids turned 5, they decided to create the perfect book for them. Stories, personalised, with the photo, featuring not only the child, but the whole family or anyone close to the child. While Stephanie has all the good taste for beautiful French art, Megan brought all the ideas for the stories – which, from what I can see, are pretty dynamic and adventurous.

The idea behind our books isnot less powerful: to encourage children to enjoy reading.  All their books focus on capturing young readers, by bringing them closer to the story. This we do in different ways relevant for the different age levels.

They’ve been selling books in France since 2007, and just hitting the UK market, which is just great if you’d like to make your child happy as mine (still enough time for Christmas).

Just ‘whisper’ the magic words GKXMAS2011 at checkout before the end of the year for your special 15% discount! Merry Christmas! Lot’s of different stroies for each age group, so I’m sure you’ll find what you are looking for.

And thank you, Stephanie and Megan elves for the lovely gift you made to my daughter, and to me – the opportunity to daydream!

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1 banana

1 cup of fine oats, boiled in water or milk (I use Ready Break as it’s quick to prepare and it’s fortified with vitamins and minerals)

2 oranges

½ tbsp cinnamon

50g natural probiotic bio yogurt

Not much to explain: I just mix everything in the shaker and press the button. Voila – e perfectly healthy breakfast! My daughter also likes it as a snack. To make an immune booster banana oaty shake I add 2 tbsp of quinoa flakes to the oats before boiling them. We also just discovered a milled flaxseed with added cocoa & dried berries blend so I add a tablespoon to the shake. It contains flavanols (very beneficial antioxidants), and it is also high in Omega 3, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc and Selenium. It tastes even better and hopefully would help us survive the flu season.

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I have to say that I needed a travel cot not just for travelling (when short of space). Yes, the Graco Contour Storage Cot is shorter (104cm) which would make it just perfect for when travelling in the spring and summer. But it’s also ideal when visiting friends for a day and overnight and my little girl would prefer to have her nap or a night-sleep in a comfortable, “her own territory” cot, so she feels save and “at home”. It’s great because it doesn’t take much space in the car when folded (it’s only 23cm x 23cm x 85cm).

I like the design with its rounded table and stylish grey colours shades. It’s got 2 wheels which makes it easy to move around. It’s quite safe, too with 7 feet for perfect stability.

The best thing of the Graco Contour storage travel cot is the included storage compartment, which means we can travel easily with minimum luggage on short or long journeys. With our old travel cot it was a bit tricky to find bedsheets to cover the mattress, but the mattress dimensions of the Graco Contour storage travel cot are 65 x 95cm, so it fits ideally a regular cot-bed mattress sheets.

If you need it for a baby, the extra benefits are also the included removable and folding changing table. Also it has a detachable control box for night light, music and vibrations – ideal for a perfect bedtime. And there is also a nice toy bar with toys to stimulate baby’s development.
As a basinette it’s suitable from birth to 3 months but as a bed it could be easily used until the child is 16kg, i.e. around 3 years old.

Thank you so much, Graco! – Nika already feels nice and comfortable in the travel cot when we stayed overnight with some friends of us last weekend, and I can’t wait to use it ever more often during our family holidays!

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My favourite book as a young girl was The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and it is still one of my favourites. This is a book that can be read by both children and adults. Beautiful language, strong messages – a simply magnificent book, which has stamped my childhood and, I am sure, was one of the million reasons to help me be what I am today. It has an appeal of love that is true and touching, and it is a book that has stood the test of time.

I heard that there is a Museum of The Little Prince in Hakone, Japan, featuring outdoor squares and sculptures like the B 612 Asteroid, the Lamplighter Square, and a sculpture of the little prince. Would that be like a museum of my childhood? A beautiful sculpture of my believes, my innocence, my hopes, my dreams? I’d like to go there. To go back in my past – to touch it, hug it, gently place my head over it and close my tired eyes. Sleep…

Translating the book into my parenting approach, what have I learned? Remember, the little prince asks questions children would be likely to pose themselves, in similar situations. Conversely, many of the answers he receives come from very “grown-up” grown-ups. The characters’ responses to the little prince reflect real-world scenarios. “Do as I say because I’m the king” – how often have I said that to my little girl?

I close my eyes and sleep. Sleep and dream of my childhood, of the story of that “little prince” who changed me forever.

Which are your books from childhood who have touched you most and changed you in a way?

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