I was watching “Driving mum and dad mad” on TV re badly behaved children and how to change the situation. The parents are at the end of their tether but every time they’re eating, not only do they all eat separate whilst watching TV or playing computer, but I have yet to see a healthy meal with greens. It is all pizza, chips and fizzy juice.

Have people not got it yet? If you feed kids crap, they will behave accordingly and having been the mother of three children, one with intolerance to lactose and sucrose, another who reacted to certain E numbers and food colours, and the third, without anything that upset the first two in his diet, became high as a kite on aspartame and other colours, so don’t tell me diet doesn’t affect them, because it does.

Do you remember, as kids we just got half portions of whatever our parents were eating… so why do kids today have a special menu of cheap crap food…is it me??? Nowadays, kids expect to have nothing but this convenient cheap crap at school, when they are out and when they are at home and their body just can’t function properly, and what is more, for peace, they get it! It’s our fault and it's up to us to put it right, otherwise there is no hope, as they’ll ultimately be in charge of this country one day and then we’ll be really screwed!!

Rant over….for now!

How many of you had candles burning during the depths of winter and over festive season? As these lights glowed away in your home, making it feel that much more homely, did any of you contemplate how dangerous they could be?

I don’t mean if they catch fire but more what you are actually inhaling? I am also referring to things like tea lights as well as pillar, votive and dinner candles. Worried? Well, some of you should be!!

Now, those of you who use my own candles and tea lights, are perfectly safe, and are using the best quality products. My candles contain natural Aberdour beeswax, natural colours, pure cotton wick and pure essential oils and that is it!! As for my tea lights, they are good quality ones from Belgium, which are fine.  Now, as you use them, you can congratulate yourselves on your quality of choice and know you are using the safest of candles, but some of you aren’t quite so choosy! Those of you who scoff at the price and buy them much cheaper at a fraction of the price may be getting more than you bargain for. Tea lights and candles are like essential oils and herbs – you get exactly what you pay for.

So, what is the problem? Well, it seems that some of the candle makers from the East such as China or from the USA aren’t quite so choosy as to what goes into the candles.  Remember, things banned in Britain and Europe are perfectly acceptable in China and the likes and they don’t worry about this when selling items containing them as they sell them so cheap!!  I only sell you what I am prepared to use myself. Bad quality paraffin wax causes more soot – bad for asthmatics etc and the synthetic oils they are scented with can cause even more problems.

Did you know some synthetic fragrances include industrial solvents such as benzene derivatives and aldehydes? Some inclusions are even regarded as hazardous waste yet we are burning them in our homes. Even more of a worry is what they use as a wick!! Not pure cotton but such things as lead and cadmium. Yes, I know! I was horrified as well, as both these are toxic to the body and you are burning them in your home and breathing them in!!! Aahhgghh!! So, look at the labels on any candles you buy. Avoid those from the USA (no wonder I have people who only burn my candles in the States) and the East,  and enquire what the wicks are made from. If they cannot tell you, DON’T BUY THEM!! You have been warned!!!