Do you have a baby 12 months and under?

Are you the parent of a baby who is 12 months or younger, or know someone who is? Would you be willing to answer questions relating to weaning if so please email me ncleighton@gmail.com.

Women we can celebrate

Love this piece highlighting some of Africa's female achievers and highlighting that there is much more to Africa and the role of women than what is projected in the media.

Africa's top women achievers - nominated by you | World news | guardian.co.uk

Duro Oluwo for JC Penney available in the UK

So I'm guessing you know that Duro Oluwo is the London based Nigerian designer who Michelle rocks. And you may know that Duro has recently paired up with JC Penney to design a collection. Well what I didn't know is for the flat fee of £15 or free if you spend a £100 JC Penney ships to the UK. Which means I can purchase this carry on suitcase, I'm slightly annoyed that I can get the umbrella but thinking I may have to ask for it to be shipped to friend living in the states.

Visit the Duro Oluwo website www.duroolowu.com and view the collection http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/jsp/browse/category.jsp?id=cat1002410004.

Are you the majority breadwinner in your household

I have just read the first chapter in 'Rocking your role'- the how to guide to success for female breadwinners by Jenny Garrett. Garrett uses her leadership and coaching expertise to provide guidance for women on accepting and being successful in their role as the main earner in their households. I've only read the first chapter so can't really comment on the book, but I have to say it's an interesting topic and one that's probably not discussed openly. Garrett mentions that some women feel angry as they have had to take on this responsibility or others relish being a success and bringing home the bacon.

When discussing this topic within my own circle of friends the majority have stated that they would prefer their significant other to be the main breadwinner. But stats from a survey conducted in 2010 indicate that 20% of the women in the UK are the chief breadwinner in their household. I'm sure as we are now in a triple dip recession  these numbers continue to grow. In my own personal fairy tale, I'd marry someone who was wealthy have babies and stay at home. I would like to work because it gave me something to do rather then having to pay the bills.

Don't get me wrong I enjoy my work but I also love my own free time and would prefer to work to pursue my own passions whilst being on hand to look after my children. I've been the person running around to pick up someone from nursery or after school club and hoping they don't get sick because I have a meeting or project I need to finish and if I'm honest it's not something I really want to do again. But if my husband wanted to stay at home and I went to work then so be it especially if that was the financially savvy thing to do. A colleague at work recently took 6 months paternity leave to look after his baby whilst his wife went back to work, making use of the ability to share maternity leave between the father and mother. Which I personally feel is wonderful.

Society needs to move with the times and if Rocking your role helps more women embrace their breadwinner status then I'm all for it. Some of the most revered women in the world were or are currently the chief breadwinners in their households, Michelle Obama before she became FOTUS was earning more than Barack and had been from the time they started dating and Oprah has been keeping Stedman for years.

If you like to find out more about Jenny Garrett and her book visit rockingyourrole.com