Mother's Day Guest Blogger - Melanie from Pretty Special

Hi there everyone,

 

Todays Mother's Day guest blogger is Melanie from Pretty Special. Today Melanie is talking about how she started up in business and how she runs it with all the demands of family life. There's some great advice in here for any mums that are thinking about starting a business. This is what she had to say.

 

 

Pretty Special - Lovely Clothes for Little People at Sensible Prices

How I Juggled Starting a Family and a Business

We had a baby in June 2011 and whilst on my glorious extended maternity leave of 14 months, I realised that returning to work for someone else just didn't suit us in the long term.  My husband is in his final year of University so returning to work on a 4 day week was inevitable so after a long hard think, I hatched my Plan B.

 

Finley had just turned 1 and Plan B became a reality.  I had found a designer baby and children's clothes website business that was for sale and set about making a go of running it.  My initial research showed that setting up a bricks and mortar store was a little beyond my capabilities and cash flow.  Nonetheless within what felt like a very short period of time, I had secured a bank loan, designed the look and feel of the website and was standing in a trade show buying 2 season's worth of stock!

 

So in summary, new baby, new business, a 4 day a week job and a husband in his final year at University...

It sounds like a lot to juggle, well because it is but I am nothing short of determined to make it all work.  And the light at the end of the tunnel will be to focus solely on the website in the not too distant future and be a mum that can fit her work around her family.

So, how do I juggle everything?  I've learnt to delegate things I'm not good at.  For instance, my accounting skills are nonexistent so finding an affordable accountant was the first thing I did.  

Being in business on your own is scary so attending free business events to keep you on top of things you should be considering such as marketing strategies and social media.  Locally I'm lucky as Outset Bristol provide all sorts of support  and training to small business owners and I recent joined Mumprenuer UK who are a mums in business support group they have given me an unlimited resource of advice and mentoring. 

Not being afraid to ask your friends for help has been a good lesson to learn.  From a friend who's job entailed reviewing business plans to holding a coffee morning so that the ardous task of posting out 250 client christmas cards was done in minutes via my very patient friends rather than a whole week by myself.  Another friend is a photographer and we've used our boys as models for my stock!  Its a win-win for both of us as it helps her promote her family photography business.  The thing to remember is that if you don't ask, no one will know that you need help.

I have taken great pleasure in sourcing new and exciting brands for baby and childrens clothes.  My newest find is a company called Jack and Ava who was started by Mum of two.  Her amazing crafting skills and imagination has developed into a brilliant company who create unique and vintage inspired body suits for babies and toddlers.

 My learning curve has been steep and I'm sure to make more mistakes as the business grows.  Having just won a Silver Website Award from Mumpreneur has given me the boost in confidence realise that what I have achieved in 6 months is actually very worthwhile and been recognised.

 

 

 

Having a goal in sight and a clear business vision is great but ignoring the fear factor is the key to success.  Do I regret taking on so much?  Sometimes.   Is it all worth it? Definitely, and well, if you don't have a go, how are you going to find out?

 

 

Thanks Melanie. You're definitely right - running your own business is hard work but the rewards are fantastic! And well done on our Mumpreneur Silver award - that's brilliant news! Totally deserved - the Pretty Special website is just that.

 

Don't forget about our fantastic Mother's Day bags. These come with fabric pens so your children can make them a truly unique present. At only £9.99 they're an absolute steal. Drop me a line to pre-order!

 

Speak soon.

 

Maxine

x

 

 

Mother's Day Guest Blogger - Abi Yardimci

Hi there everybody,

 

Throughout the month of February we're celebrating our Mother's Day bags! So we're going to be featuring some mums that run businesses throughout the whole month. Today's mum is Abi Yardimci. Abi runs a business called The Cool Rule Company an absolutely fabulous business that promotes all things positive when it comes to parenting.

 

Here's what Abi had to say!

 

So far 2013 has dragged us all along with its excessively healthy detoxing guilt-trips, dire financial chaos and, quite frankly, offensive weather conditions. Yes. January has come and gone in all its familiar splendor.

 

Yet on the horizon we can see Valentine’s Day, school half-term break and an excuse to indulge in reams of gooey pancakes. But what’s that? That modest little event just nestling on a cosy Sunday in the middle of March? Oh yes. Mother’s Day.

 

Can I sense mums everywhere doing a mental Mexican wave? A jubilant clasping of hands and cheeky little daydreams about a lie-in, a cup of tea in bed, perhaps a spa treatment or two?

For some of us those daydreams will morph gratifyingly into tangible events. For me (and I suspect I am not alone), they will remain in a metaphorical dream bubble, drifting overhead just out of reach.

There are three main reasons why I will not expect to be made a fuss of this Mother’s Day.

• My husband is Turkish and will be waiting until Turkish Mother’s Day in May (and then he’ll conveniently forget . . . I know his ploy)

 

 

• My sons are mere tots which means they are unlikely to get on the phone to the local spa and make a swift credit card transaction

• I run my own business, The Cool Rule Company, alongside being a full-time Mum so there is no reason why that particular Sunday will not involve the usual snowballing of household and business tasks
   

But it’s easy to complain, isn’t it? And that’s why, since becoming a Mum I’ve learned that you need to make sure you look after yourself. And I’m not talking about a beauty treatment or a girls night out. Those things are perfectly wonderful if your situation will facilitate them. But if you’re in a predicament where time out for yourself is rare, then I feel your pain.

 

That’s why I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to bring out the beauty in the perpetual nature of being a Mum.

 

Toddlers are really good at this. And we can give it a go too. Enjoy the pattern of the splattered yoghurt on the floor. Breathe deep the soapy scent of a whinging child’s just-washed hair. Honest. It works.

Develop a habit of taking slow deep breaths. Three seems to be the magic number.  Breathe deeply through your nose, and make sure the out-breath is longer than the in-breath. Start your day with them. End your day with them. Do them with your kids.

 

In your responses to family, friends, whoever, just pause. You’ll find that after a few seconds your answer will just rise up in you and be more truthful than an answer you splutter out in a rush. Try it.

By this I mean pay attention to what’s going on in your body at any given time. Whilst the toddler screams on the supermarket floor what are you feeling? Focus on the quickening of your breath and slow it down. And when you’re playing with your kids, then what is your body doing? Rosy cheeks? Laughter rising? Watch your body’s responses and you’ll feel more able to judge your feelings, name them and accept them.
 

Just once in a while, when you’re absolutely at your wit’s end, ask yourself “What is it that I feel like doing right now?” It might be to run away, to have a stiff drink, or to scream. Whatever it is, I challenge you to do the exact opposite. You might just surprise yourself.

Let’s face it, this experience called parenthood is probably the greatest adventure we’ll ever have. Don’t doubt that you’ve been blessed and try to tune into a sense of gratitude as often as possible.

So whatever you’re doing for Mother’s Day, or today or tomorrow or for the rest of the year, remember that the very best pampering comes from within.

 

 

Thanks Abi for your pearls of wisdom! Check out Abi's business The Cool Rule Company. She has really wonderful products on her website including the original Cool Rule Book which promotes all things positive about parenting.

 

 

Keep watching as well for a fabulous new joint venture between me and Abi called Moment Makers. Fabulous at-home parties celebrating all that is glorious about those moments our children give us! Give us a like on Facebook.

 

Also Life's A Celebration will be launching our brand spanking new Mother's Day Bags very soon. These gorgeous cotton bags have a delightful I Love Mum logo and come with fabric pens so the kids can give their mum a truly unique present. At only £9.99 (including the fabric pens) they are a complete steal. If you want to pre-order then drop me a line.

 

Speak to you soon my friends!

 

Maxine

x

Learning to love photography

From photography like this................................

 

 

to photography like this in less then 2 hours.

When it comes to taking photographs I have always been a point and click kind of a gal!

Running Life's A Celebration means that I constantly have new products being launched and sold and sometimes I need to just take a quick pic to share with Facebook, twitter, my newsletter and my blog.

I have always been acutely aware that product photography can make or break your products. A picture tells a thousand words and all that. That's why I always enlist the help of Sarah Loveland Photography for all my products shots. Like, for example, these shots below;



 

Sarah did a fab job of shooting all the Halloween party supplies that were included in our Halloween party boxes that I asked her if she would taking the next shots I needed for our Princess Party Boxes.


I was really impressed with the quality of Sarah's work that I asked if she wanted to take some more shots for me. Sarah also offers one-to-one photography lessons and as I'd treated myself to a new camera I decided to book myself in.
 

Sarah was amazing, very patient! She ran me through the camera and the basics of what I could do with it. She taught me things about depth of field, apertures, adjusting the flash and loads more. Here are some of the examples of the photos that I took in our 2 hour lesson. I have to say I'm quite impressed with myself. What do you think?

 

 



So needless to say expect lots of photographs from Life's A Celebration. We have loads of new products in the pipeline including Mother's Day bags which the children can colour in, Easter bags, wedding bags, travel bags for kids and thank you teacher bags. These will all be photographed obviously but in the meantime if you want to learn more about them then just drop me a line!

Speak to you soon my friends!

Maxine
x

 

 

 



Friday Fun - make your own playdough

Don't buy playdough from the shops! Follow our recipe - a great activity to enjoy with the kids.

**Warning** has mess potential! Make sure you put down old sheets before you start!

We've used a cup as a measure. It doesn't have to be a cup it can be a teacup or a mug, as long as the ingredients are mixed in the correct proportions.

Basic dough
Use half a cup of salt to one and a half cups of plain flour, mixing it with water until you have a dough consistency. Then get modelling!

Glittery colourful dough
Make up the basic dough recipe above, then add glitter and food colouring! Messy but loads of fun.

Scented dough
Again, make the basic dough recipe, then add a few drops of vanilla, peppermint, almond, lemon or rose essence.

Baked dough **needs to be supervised by an adult**
Use on cup of salt to one quarter cup of water. Mix together in a saucepan. Stir over the heat until the mixture bubbles, then remove from the stove and add one cup of cornflour and another half cup of water. Knead well. You can use this dough to make models or jewellery. Creat beads by rolling the dough into small balls, then push a cocktail stick through each ball to create a small hole. Leave them to air-dry or bake in a slow oven. When they're hard, paint and string them and wear as a necklace.


So go on give them a go. Send us pictures of your creations, we'd love to see them! if you're feeling extremely brave then why not have a go at this if you're having your next child's party at home. Don't forget about your party supplies from Life's A Celebration too

Happy Friday everybody!

Maxine
xx

Memories, my mum and Malory Towers

Hi there everyone,

If you read my previous blog you will know that my daughter has just turned 8 (with a massive party to boot!). For Christmas she got the full set of Enid Blyton's Malory Towers books. We have started to read these books.

I have to say that reading these books to her has brought back so many memories for me. I remember my mum reading these books to me as an 8 year old and then I remember reading them myself again and again. I thought I had forgotten all the story lines but it's amazing how they're all flooding back to me as I read them to my little girl. The characters are great and the story lines engaging. There is even additional books now written by Pamela Cox in 2009. These follow the adventures of Darryl's sister Felicity at Malory Towers. Having never read these I am looking forward to getting to this part of the series and judging by the way we are whipping through the books it won't be long before we get there.

The front cover illustration has changed from when I was a girl but the stories are just the same! If you have a little girl then I can totally recommend these books.

Reading Malory Towers got me thinking about how history does really repeat itself. My mum read them to me and now I'm reading them to my daughter. I wonder if when my little girl becomes a mum herself she will read them to her children. I really hope she does.

If, like mine, your mum deserves a special treat this Mothers Day then coming soon Life's A Celebration will have some gorgeous Mothers Day bags.

Maxine
x

Obstacles!

Well my daughter turned 8 the other day and she's having a big disco party tomorrow. There's going to be 23 kids at the party and I'll be doing the entertainment (obviously!). I have new and improved disco moves (oh yes embarassing mum here I come) and I can Gangnam Style with the best of  'em!

It has been decided that rather then do the usual party tea we would just order take away pizzas instead.

My face painter friend is also coming along to face paint!

 

All seems reasonably straightforward and stress free wouldn't you think?

As a parent I think one of the most stressful things in our lives is children's parties. The organisation and planning that goes into them is military. Even for me! I mean I run my own party business, I have an office stacked with party supplies, I entertain at lots of children's parties and even I have been getting a bit stressed about the whole thing!

Let me explain! Until today nothing and I mean nothing has gone right with this party planning. I have bought a new PA system and thought that my own child's party would be the perfect opportunity to learn how to use. Better then having technical glitches at a paying customer's party. However the kit arrived from Germany so I needed an adaptor to run it through the UK electricity sytem. Then the cable that arrived to link the system to my laptop was the wrong one so a new one had to be ordered.

I bought new disco lights which duly arrived with no power cable! Aarrrgghhh!

You would think that all of these issues would be easily resolved. Just jump in the car and get to the shops! Well think again because the snow arrived!! My daughter's school was closed for a few days. I couldn't get the car off my driveway and everything in the town in which we live ground to a halt.

I'd only cleared this the night before. But forget the snow - look how filthy my car is!

I couldn't get into my office because even though all the roads were cleared, the car parks in the town centre weren't, which meant I couldn't get into the office to collect my back-up PA system, my back up disco lights and all the goodies for party bags. Nightmare! In a panic I had to buy party bag goodies, balloons, plates, cups etc from a shop!! I know - pay full price for things that I have in ready supply in my own office!! What was even more worrying was if I couldn't get into the office then I couldn't get Fergal the Sharkey my party mascot!

 

All the kids love Fergal

 

 

Anyway today at the 11th hour everything seems to have come together nicely. I have a PA system, I have a microphone (I was fearful I was going to have to shout out all the dance moves!), I have filled party bags and I have disco lights. I even made it into the office and have picked up Fergal - phew. We are now all systems go.

The only thing that has gone right with the entire ordeal is the cake. This has been made by the fabulous Sara's Kitchen. Take a look at the awesome disco fever cake on Sara's Kitchen's Facebook page! I am so grateful to Sara for making this the one stress free thing in this whole experience.

So if this whole experience has taught me one thing. It's how resourceful I actually am! So if you want a stress free children's party why not get in touch with Life's A Celebration and we will get it organised for you.

 

I'll report back and let you know how the party goes!

 

Maxine

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We've moved

Hello everybody,

I am happy to report that Life's A Celebration has moved into swanky new premises. We needed more space and so on 1st December we moved into 2-4 Wesley Street, Consett.

We've moved into the new premises with 3 fabulous other businesses. So I am now proud to announce that we now share our wonderful new offices with Silver Birch Designs, KittyBeth and Sara's Kitchen. These businesses all work tirelessly within the weddings and events industry and are run by 3 fabulous ladies.

We have a great range of wedding and party products and have links to many other wedding related businesses. So if you're local then why not pop in and see us or book a skype call with me and I'll give you a virtual tour.
 
To celebrate the office move we've slashed the prices of our Princess party boxes. So if you have a little princess that will be celebrating a birthday very soon then all you need is a Princess Party Box. Everything you need to celebrate, from plates to party bags, is sent out to your door - perfectly simple! Although the adverse weather at the moment is delaying things slightly!

Princess party boxes with plates, cups, napkins, tablecovers, table confetti, banners, balloons and filled party bags. Phew!

Life's A Celebration will have some MASSIVE developments throughout 2013. We have very exciting new products that will be announced soon and we will also be launching a shiny new website too. New products will include a bigger range of children's party boxes with a new Moshi Monsters party box and Peppa Pig party box, a bigger range of milestone parties including an 80s party box, a bigger range of wedding activity bags and loads more! If you want to know more about any of these products then get in touch! You know me - always happy to chat parties with you!

So if you have a celebration coming up in 2013 then get in touch! We all know that organising an event can be stressful - we're here to help!
 
See you soon
 
Maxine
x
 

Children's party checklist

Children's Party Checklist 

Ok so your child's birthday is coming up and you're running around frantically trying to organise a party. Sound familiar?? Well don't panic here's our Children's Party Checklist to help things run as smoothly as possible!

1) Pick a date and time.

 

 Make sure you have the date booked in plenty of time and hand the invitations out at least 3 weeks prior to the party. Don't expect that everybody will respond to your invitations because they won't! Keep on top of the list, cross out all the people that can't make it but expect that a good portion, if not all, of the people that don't respond will turn up. Irritating but true!

 

2) Alongside picking the date and time get the venue booked.

Do this in plenty of time because the popular venues can get booked up very quickly.

 

3) Get the entertainer booked.

As with the venue do this early! Have a chat with your child. It's more than likely that they will know what kind of party they would like and who they would like to be the entertainer. Are you daring enough to do this yourself?? If you are have a look at our previous blog 'Entertain The Children Yourself At Their Next Party'. Don't get too elaborate with the prizes either. You'll find that the children are not actually that bothered about what they win. It's usually best to have a big bag of sweets and hand them out to all the winners and non-winners (I don't think we're allowed to say losers are we??) of the games. If you're in the North East of England then I'm always happy to come out and entertain at your child's party. I bring everything with me from the tableware to the balloons to the games to the party bags to the entertainment - absolutely everything. All you need to do is organise the venue and the food and leave the rest to me! I am happy to give you a pre-party consultation too so we can discuss everything! Drop me a line or give me a ring on 07852955800 and we'll have a chat.

 

4) Pick a theme (if your child wants a theme).

This should all be worked into the invitations so that parents know in plenty of time what kind of party it is and whether or not they need to organise some fancy dress. Personally I wouldn't be too elaborate with the theme. Kids enjoy a party regardless of the theme so it might be boring but you can't really go far wrong with a princess and pirate theme.

 

5) Have a think about the party supplies you'll need.

Make a list of things. You'll need plates, cups, napkins, tablecloths, banners, balloons as a minimum. You may also want extras for the table like cupcake stands and table decorations. If you're working to a budget then these are not essential. If you want to have a chat about party supplies then drop me a line. I'm always happy to chat to you about your party and can provide you with all the party supplies you need. Have you seen our Birthday Party Boxes too - everything you need all boxed up and sent to you! Our Princess Party Boxes (pictured below) are ideal for the little princesses in your life.

6) Organise the party bags.

This can be a bit of a hassle and can be quite expensive. If you want affordable filled party bags then drop me a line and we'll have a chat about party bags just for you and then that's another thing ticked off the list! If you are going to do the party bags yourself then don't put names on the bags! When the kids are ready to leave the party it's normally chaos and names on the bags are just one extra complication you don't need - just have the bags ready for your child to hand out.

 

7) Think about your food and cake.  

There are loads of businesses out there that can provide party food and cakes. Have a look around your local area and speak to friends to get recommendations. Or have a go at the food and cake yourself. Sometimes it can also be easier to buy the food boxes and get the food boxed up before the party. Then when food time arrives at the party you can just hand out boxes. In terms of food you can't go wrong with sandwiches, sausage rolls, crisps, cherry tomatoes, cheese blocks, fairy cakes and biscuits. Don't be surprised either if the eating of food at the party doesn't take as long as you expected either. The older the children are the less time it takes them to eat the party food.

 

 

8) On the day of the party just relax and enjoy it!

If you have booked a village hall as a venue then my advice would be to go and set everything up without your child being there. If you can get a grandparent to bring them along about 15 minutes before the party starts so they're ready to greet all the guests as they arrive but not be there to 'help' whilst you're setting up!

I think I've covered the main points of organising your child's party. If I've forgotten anything or you have any useful hints and tips to share then please leave a comment.

If you want to discuss any aspect of a child's party then please get in touch. Always happy to help!

Maxine

x

Happy Birthday to Life's A Celebration

Yes that's right folks on 1st November 2012 Life's A Celebration will be one years old!

I can't believe it so please bear with me in this blog post - it's going to be a bit self indulgent!

I have made so many friends over the last year and I thank absolutely everybody from the bottom of my heart for all the support and encouragement over the last year.

So when I was thinking about writing this post I started to think about all the things I have done over the last year and I am absolutely amazed in all the things I've managed to achieve (told you this was going to be self indulgent!)

Over the last year we've launched new products including our Princess Party Boxes (very popular!), our Happy Birthday Party Boxes and loads more.

Princess Party Boxes from only £4 per head

We've run some brilliant 'one-off' party boxes for example our Jubilee Party Boxes which were so popular that I had to pull them early as I was worried that I would run out of stock! We've also worked closely with customers to come up with parties just for them. These included our Gothic Party Boxes (which still get comments so I'm thinking about making them a permanent fixture on the website), Make and Bake Parties, Firework Parties, 80s parties and loads more.

Some of the items in our Gothic Party Boxes - great for teenagers by the way!

I am increasingly getting customers popping into the office to request that I go and entertain at their child's party. The lovely people that I share the building with know very well just how much I love doing this and they love (and I use the word very loosely) my singing and dancing - yes Sara I'm talking about you here!

The move into dedicated premises is probably the biggest achievement of the year. It was a massive decision to take the leap of faith and at the moment it is paying off. Me and my daughter got our home back and I now have somewhere that I can meet customers and just generally have a really fun work space.

So there are loads of people I would like to thank for helping me throughout this year. All these people have been there to help me celebrate all the good things about running your own business and also pick me up when things aren't necessarily going to plan.

Major apologies in advance if I've forgotten anybody but if your name is not on the list then you can rest assured that you are in my heart and I thank you too!

So here we go....................

Gem, Mark, Mum, Keith, Dad, Phyl, Carrie, Juliet, Carole, Sarah Loveland, Sarah Sutcliffe, Malcolm, Charlie, Maria, Paul, Sam, Pat, Martin, Tony, Liz, Janette, Dan, Sara, Michelle, Simone, Anne, Gillian, Abi, Poppy, Pauline, John, Michael, Fran, Simon, Dave, Joe, Sue and all the ITC people, Mandy, all the mums and dads at school, Helen, Theo Paphitis (obviously!), Yvonne, all my guest bloggers, all my twitter and facebook pals and obviously a hugely massive thank you to all my customers - without you this job would be no fun at all and I had loved each and every minute of helping you with your parties over the last year.

And of course last but definitely not least, my gorgeous daughter, who started all this. She's my reason for getting up in the morning (literally and usually very early!).

Party on my friends and don't forget - Life really is a celebration!

Max

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All our Halloween Hints & Tips

We thought you might like to see a copy of our latest newsletter. Loads of Halloween hints and tips!

We have Halloween Party Food Ideas, Halloween Party Music and a downloadable FREE template of a Make Your Own Halloween Cards.

Check out our newsletter now and you'll get all the ideas you need for a fangtastic Halloween spooktacular!

Maxine

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Music for your Halloween Party!

Here at Life's A Celebration we love Halloween - we love to have fangtastic, spooktacular fun! Our Halloween party boxes are proving very popular at the moment with parents up and down the country so today we welcome Martin Deltrice one of the best DJs around (and I have first had experience of this - he made my 80s birthday party an absolute sensation!). Martin's going to tell us about his Halloween Top 10 songs!

 

 

Over to you Martin!

Hi there everybody. If you're having a Halloween party this year, I've picked my Top 10 spooky hits. These can be enjoyed by young and old alike and are guaranteed to get everybody in the party spirit (no pun intended!)

Number 10
People Are Strange - The Doors or Echo and the Bunnymen
Definitely a great song to get the party started!

Number 9
Cry Wolf - Aha

Number 8
(You're the) Devil in Disguise - Elvis Presley

Number 7
Amityville (The House on the Hill) - Lovebug Starski

Number 6
The Time Warp - Damian

Number 5
Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell

Number 4
Werewolves of London -  Warren Zeron

Number 3
Monster Mash - Bobby 'Boris' Pickett and the Crypt Kicker

Number 2
Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.


And of course Number 1 has to go to
Number 1
Thriller - Michael Jackson

So these are my top 10 Halloween favourites. What are yours? Have I missed anything? Let me and Maxine know by posting a comment below!

Don't forget that music can make or break your party! So if you want to get in touch I'm always happy to chat about your next party. Or visit the website!


Thanks Martin for sharing you Halloween top 10! If you're having a Halloween party and you need stress free party supplies then all you need are Life's A Celebration's Halloween Party Boxes.

Maxine
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