Clara Wiggins

While you may give money to good causes, you might not have thought of these unusual charitable donations that can help in surprising ways.
Earlier this year, the charitable donation of a secondhand cell phone changed the life of British man Charlie Hennessy, who was experiencing homelessness at the time. Within 10 days he’d used free Wi-Fi from a local coffee shop to set himself up with a Twitter account, he’d gained nearly 20,000 followers, and he’d been offered jobs, donations and support....

My husband’s unsupportiveness definitely affected how long I breastfed.
When she breastfed her first child, one thing Rebecca Bain found particularly hard was the lack of support from her husband. So hard that his negativity was one of the main reasons she nursed her baby for only the first eight weeks.
“I had lots of issues establishing feeding, but he was unsupportive and more concerned about knowing how much the baby ate and whether somebody would get a flash of my breast than what might b...

When she handed her precious newborn over to her parents to look after for the first time, Kate Rope, a mother of two from Atlanta, didn’t just give them the baby. She also gave them a list. Or perhaps a more appropriate term would be an instruction manual on how they should look after their granddaughter.
“I gave them a typed, single-spaced, three-page document that was, as I look back on it now, embarrassingly detailed and patronizing,” she said. “I even told them to wash their hands before...

It was the summer of 2008, and we had just moved to Islamabad, caught in an intense heat that trapped us indoors, where the air-conditioning made life bearable. I had a toddler and a baby, my husband was at work all day, and most of the other families on the compound of the British High Commission where we lived were away for the holidays. Until our container of goods turned up, we didn’t even have more than a handful of toys.

As a child growing up in poverty in the rural Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe, Moses Murandu was used to having salt literally rubbed in his wounds when he fell and cut himself. On lucky days, though, his father had enough money to buy something which stung the boy much less than salt: sugar.

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Forest Green Rovers were already renowned in the UK as giant-killers, the minnows who took on some of the much larger clubs and won. But now the club is gaining a reputation for a completely different reason — as the first vegan club on the planet.
It started as a rescue mission when the Gloucestershire club owners approached millionaire environmentalist Dale Vince for sponsorship back in 2010. After looking into the troubled team’s finances, Vince, who owns local green energy company E...

Living abroad with kids, unsure I could do it, and ...

INDYGO
Ponte City: How Johannesburg's notorious towerblock cleaned up its act

How many of us grow up hoping one day we will get to marry a prince? Most of us leave that wish behind as soon as we grow out of our glittery Belle gowns and twinkling Cinderella shoes. But for Meghan Markle — whose name so conveniently rhymes with sparkle — that wish really has come true.
However, this is not a fairy tale. Once the wedding is over, real life begins. And an important part of that real life is the fact that she is about to marry a British man. Yes, a member of the royal family...

Studies indicate a certain amount of boredom, especially in the summer when school’s out, can actually be good for children. But a long car ride is probably not the best place for that boredom to happen. Enter road trip games for kids.
Why Electronics and Reading May Not be Best
Sure electronics are a quick fix, but they may not create the family atmosphere you want to create. Plus, studies show that too much screen time can negatively affect children’s brains, so we want to steer clear of mu...

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No one wants to think or talk about it, but choosing someone to look after your children if you die could be one of the most important decisions you make as a parent.

Lying on my back, face turned to the ceiling, I could feel my husband’s warm hand tighten in mine. Every other time I’d done this, my body had been twisted as far as possible to see the screen next to me, eager to catch a glimpse of the baby inside me.

This time was different. This time I was terrified of what I would see or, rather, what I wouldn’t see. I’d been waiting 24 hours for this moment, but had I been able, I would have stopped time so it never arrived.

Shoes are thrown across the hall, bouncing off the wall and skidding into the next room. A jumble of bags, coats, books, and random bits of string littering the floor is kicked aside. I am furious.
“Why can’t people pick their stuff up, just once?” I shout at no one in particular, my words echoing up the stairs though I suspect my daughters are shuttered away in their rooms, headphones drowning out my attempts to guilt them into clearing up.
“Okay,” my voice rises higher, frustration mounting...

“Not that way, the strokes need to go up and down. It’ll look messy like that.” I push my daughter’s paintbrush out of the way with mine and show her how to do it properly. I haven’t painted a room in years and I’m certainly no expert but I know how hard it is to ensure you get an even coat.

Right next door to big-hitter Bath, Bradford on Avon is a gorgeous Cotswold town, perfect for a slow weekend away. Clare Wiggins gives us her top tips.