Archive for April, 2009

Ella Announcements

April 29, 2009 at 11:41 am · Filed under Uncategorized

Amanda Farren is our latest guest blogger.  Amanda is another mummy/stroke businesswoman and makes beautiful announcement cards.

 

Mother, Wife, Business Woman and a Superwoman Wannabe! You’d think having three children aged 4,3 and 1 would be more than enough work for some people… but others just cannot help but want more. I’m one of those people.ella2

I started Ella Announcements when I was 19, 2 years after the birth of my first daughter Ella and shortly after having my second child. There were several reasons why I chose to start a business. Being at home all day every day with a 2 year old and a baby began to wear down my brain cells into a mush of gibberish baby talk. I needed something to occupy my mind, keep me occupied and potentially bring in a little extra cash! I also had something to prove, firstly to the people who knew me, who thought I would never do myself justice taking the path in life that I chose, and secondly to society in general who look down on teenage parents, no matter who they are, where they’ve come from or where they’re going.

Ella Announcements offers unique products to the UK market. I drew the inspiration from my personalised photo announcements and invitations I had seen on sites in the US. Every design is unique. I create each announcement from scratch so that no one before or after you will have the same design. They make a fantastic and personal touch to any special occasion, particularly for babies and children, but also for grown ups too!

ella11Ella Announcements has successfully been designing photo cards for over 2 years now, and the time has come to expand the business. This week will see the launch of a brand new website. We will now be offering funky invites for every occasion that do not include photographs and therefore offer a lower cost option yet still homing in on the unique Ella Announcements touch! There will soon be a fantastic new range of wedding stationery, stemming from many customer requests for our unique designs for this special occasion. Customers love for the Ella Announcements design work has led to many small companies having their business branded by myself, and I will also be including logo design, web design and other business design options on the new website. And as well as all of that, you’ll now find a fantastic new gifts section, which includes personalised gifts designed by Ella Announcements, and also gifts sourced from other small mum-owned businesses… from nappy cakes, to personalised plaques, to adorable tutus!

To view my website please visit www.ellaannouncements.com. There’s something there for everyone!

In my bid for superwomanhood, and in the spirit of entrepreneurship, I have other projects either already in full swing, or on the cards for later this year.

I have organised a Baby Fair for my local area. The Baby Fair will be held in Coventry on Sunday 7th June, and will include a whole range of exhibitors aimed at pregnancy, baby and pre-school. There’ll be lots of fun things for all the family, including a visit from Claude the Clown, facepainting, a photography competition, classes and demonstrations and much more! And best of all… it’s completely free! More information can be found on the website www.baby-fair.co.uk

Who knows… Maybe one day I will become a Superwoman!

 

 

 

www.teenymunchkins.co.uk

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An Award for Teeny Munchkins

April 28, 2009 at 7:35 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

We are delighted to announce that today we won a Silver Award for our work on www.teenymunchkins.co.uk.  The Web Site Awards acknowledges individuals who have created a special website experience for its visitors.

We are very proud to display our award on the homepage of our site

Silver Web Site Award for Outstanding Web Site Design & Performance!

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Chiggs Baby Wheels

April 26, 2009 at 7:13 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , ,

Our latest guest blogger is Elizabeth Geldart who set up her company Chiggs Baby Wheels.

feedwheel1My business, Chiggs Ltd, wholesales my own inventions- the Baby Feed Wheel, Baby Medicine Wheel and the Get Well Wheel.

 

These are parenting products, cards and gifts with a numbered dial to keep track of baby’s feed and everyone’s medicine times!

 

The inspiration for my first invention, the Baby Feed Wheel, came in October 2005 when I was visiting a friend who’d just had a baby. In the midst of sleep deprivation, she couldn’t remember her little boy’s last feed time, so I jokingly suggested she used a car parking disc to set the time whenever he had a feed. A couple of days later I took round a little ‘homemade’ version (covered in blue paper with a little picture stuck on the front!)

 

Remembering my own ‘hazy days’ after my daughter Holly’s birth, when I would write feed times down on pieces of paper, I realised what a useful idea this would be for new parents.

 

After two months of design, research and sourcing suppliers I secured a design patent, and commissioned the first print run of Baby Feed Wheels.

 

I had designed the Baby Feed Wheel in blue, pink and lemon with “to” and “from” printed on the reverse; so as well as being a thoroughly useful product for parents, it could also be sent as a congratulations card or ‘new baby’ gift, just as I had made for my friend.

 

medicinewheelThe Baby Medicine Wheel followed soon after. Whilst on holiday with friends and their little boy, he was teething and needed medicine. Our friends used a Baby Feed Wheel to record the time of each dose so that they knew when the next dose would be due. Shortly after the holiday I contacted the Patent Office with my second product!

 

 

The Get Well Wheel completes the Chiggs range, (which are all printed in the UK and hand getwellwheelfinished in Harrogate). With ‘time of last medicine’ printed on the front, older children and adults of all ages can monitor their medicine times whether recovering from illness, or taking regular medication.

I’ve found developing my own inventions into a business incredibly rewarding. It’s a long way from my previous career as an Air Stewardess, and has been an incredible learning curve!

 

I’ve had great support from my husband Andrew, and my daughter Holly, now 6, is an important part of the business. She’s handed leaflets out at trade fairs, licked stamps, stuck stickers and if she had her way she would be allowed to answer the ‘phone, too!

 

 

 

www.teenymunchkins.co.uk

 

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Ten Things Every New Mother Should Know

April 18, 2009 at 3:01 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

Guest blogger number 3 is Sam Thewlis and she has written a fantastic article on Ten Things Every Mother Should Know.

Sam (www.samthewlis.co.uk) is a freelance writer specialising in copywriting solutions and ghost-blogging. She can be contacted on sam@samthewlis.co.uk

 

 

Ten things every new mother should know

  1. It is perfectly normal to just stare at your new baby for hours. He or she is pretty amazing.
    However it is also perfectly normal to be far too knackered to be sentimental and just want to sleep!
  2. New babies often sleep a lot in the first few days. No matter how proud you are or how many visitors you get, do not wake the baby. You will so wish you had taken advantage of the opportunity later.
  3. It is perfectly socially acceptable to ask visitors politely to leave when you have had enough, and impolitely if they still don’t take the hint. Good visitors ‘pay’ for their visit with food or ironing.
  4. Some children sleep through the night in the first few weeks. Many don’t. If you are lucky, smile inwardly to yourself or you may find yourself attacked by less fortunate sleep-deprived mothers. Please note ‘through the night’ means 5 or 6 hours, not 8.
  5. If you have a baby girl, she will be forced to wear pink for the first 3 months of her life because small baby clothes don’t seem to come in any other colours. This is probably because every mother likes to think her little girl is so beautiful and so obviously a girl that anyone getting it wrong is castigated with a steely stare. Pink clothing therefore avoids shopping centre altercations.
  6. Do not let Dad register the baby’s name by himself. Although, if you are unmarried he needs to be there, if you are not there, you only have yourself to blame for spelling mistakes or even the wrong name (it happens, honestly).
  7.  You swore it would never happen, but over the next 6 months you will become an expert on shade, consistency and aroma of poo.
  8.  You will receive copious amounts of conflicting and unsolicited advice from every corner. Feel free to ignore at will.
  9. Before you are allowed to take the baby home you will need to sit and pass a parenting proficiency test. Actually, you don’t, but when you are first left alone with that tiny helpless being, you will wish you did.
  10. At the end of the day, being a new mother is hard, fantastic, confusing, exhilarating and special. And it is an achievement you should be really proud of. Well done you!

 

Thanks Sam for this brilliant article.  I read this and thought back to when my 4 were babies and can totally relate to the points that have been raised here.

 

www.teenymunchkins.co.uk

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Daisychain Baby

April 16, 2009 at 7:07 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , ,

dc1DaisychainBaby is an eco-friendly online store selling organic and ethically sourced goodies for tots under two. Launched at the end of 2008 by founder Lins Drabwell, with unending (and still ongoing!) support from husband Peter, Lins decided to set up her own business whilst thinking about alternate employment opportunities. Having spent seven years in the same job, she was looking for a change but on finding options very limited, and with a great deal of experience in Ebay trading behind her, she started putting the plans in place for her company.

The motto at DaisychainBaby is “a friendly world for natural babes” and this is very much the message that Lins wishes to convey. She chose to start with a niche age range in order to really focus on understanding the needs of modern parents, with a view to expanding this range as the company grows. Providing an excellent service is a key focus, as is ensuring the socially conscious credentials of the business – it is important to Lins that the focus on the planet does not end with the products she offers to the market, but that every single process from start to finish is as environmentally friendly as it can be.

dc2Currently a work from home business, and still being fitted in around a full-time 9 to 5 job, DCB has recently started going on the road. Lins and Peter take their entire stock once a month to Duckpond Market which takes place in Ruislip, northwest London, and absolutely love the buzz of being involved in a community event. Their collection has been very well received and they are looking to move with the market as it expands to an additional site in Harrow. Organic growth is very important and Lins has been utilising social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as tradeshows and some wonderfully supportive contacts to help forge a future for DCB. Over the next few months, plans include adding more brands, further building the features section of their blog which currently offers a fortnightly spotlight on complementary businesses and hopefully looking into DaisychainBaby cake mornings!! dc31

There is currently a 10% discount on offer until May 5, please quote MJL409 at checkout

 

 

 

www.teenymunchkins.co.uk

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Guest Blogger – Creative Casting Ltd

April 15, 2009 at 7:12 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , ,

Over the next few weeks we are going to feature some guest bloggers who all have businesses involving products for babies and children. 

First up is Creative Casting Ltd who have a fantastic business and just wish my children were a lot younger so I can take advantage of their beautiful products.

Creative Casting Ltd – a great range of baby hands & feet keepsakes from two business-minded Mums! When Julie Tavener moved in to the house next door to Jo Bale, little did they know that 6 years on they would be running a successful business together. But motherhood, maternity leave & a desire to keep a career alive gave them a common goal – they just needed the idea….

creative1

This came about when Julie had her eldest son, Mathew & Jo looked into making a keepsake that was totally unique & personal. She found the idea of creating baby hands & feet life casts from America & so, with baby Mathew as a guinea pig, Jo & Julie created their first 3D casts!

The end result was so detailed & amazing they knew this would be something that many new parents would want as a keepsake if it was more accessible. Existing products were expensive & hard to find so Julie & Jo set about creating a baby casting kit which was easy to use & packaged as a beautiful gift idea.

creative2Their range has developed over the years to include casting kits with frames, clay imprint kits & an amazing mess free inkless printing system but one value has always remained – quality.

 

 

creative31The Creative Casting team has attended The Baby Shows at the NEC, Excel & Earls Court for several years & has had extensive press coverage in the last year or so giving the products a reputation for excellent UK workmanship & friendly customer service. Visit us at the NEC Baby Show in May for some great show prices on our imprint & casting kits.

Keep your eyes peeled for Jo & Julie on the TV in the coming months as they are currently working with many Olympic athletes on behalf of Camelot & the 2012 Olympics as well as being involved in an upcoming episode of one of the BBC’s most popular reality show!

 

 

10% discount is available for all blog readers by entering the code TMBO at checkout.

 

 

www.teenymunchkins.co.uk

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The Benefits of Babywearing

April 14, 2009 at 5:47 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , ,

Sling Your Baby – The Benefits of Babywearing

 

When I talked to a friend the other day about “babywearing” she was completely confused as to what I meant – she thought perhaps I was suggesting she use her little darling as a hat. However, when renowned paediatrician, Dr William Sears invented the term “babywearing” in the 1980s, I’m fairly sure he meant it to mean all the possible methods of carrying a baby, and not the wearing of babies as fashion accessories. So, as one concept to cover the myriad of different ways of carrying a baby, it is great to have a catch-all phrase, even if it is a weird sounding way of putting it.

 

In all fairness to the human race, Dr Sears only came up with the name for something that had been going on since… well, since the first human mummy stood up, looked around and said, “Now, where did I put Baby?” Even before that our simian ancestors did (and still do) carry their offspring in a variety of ways attached to the fur of different parts of their bodies.

 

Humans around the world have been carrying their offspring for millennia BPT (Before Phil and Ted) and anything that has been going that long is subject to local diversity, so it’s not surprising to find a variety of methods. Of course in “less developed” countries it is still regarded as the best way of getting your kids around before they can keep up, so you will find African, Asian and South American varieties. It even used to be popular in the “developed” west before the Georgian and Victorian aristocracy persuaded everyone that children should be kept as far away from their parents as possible, handing them to nannies to be genteelly wheeled around in perambulators.

 

Dr Sears came up with some interesting facts, for instance, did you know that carrying your baby upright can reduce the effects of colic and reflux – definitely worth considering if you have a colicky baby (and if you do, you will try anything…I did!). Babies who are carried learn more quickly, as they spend their time being involved in your world, not just watching, but participating; developing a brain that is learning to learn.

 

Some people suggest that having your baby in a sling will make him clingy. Doesn’t it? Exactly the opposite, actually. Baby becomes more emotionally secure and independent as he knows you are around as a safe base from which to explore.

 

Need I go on? Well, if us mums are permitted a bit of selfishness, there are always the extra calories you burn by carrying your baby, and the way you can breastfeed discreetly, and the general snugly cuddles you both get to enjoy, which stimulate your new-mum hormones, and can help to reduce the likelihood and severity of post-natal depression. What do you do to get your baby off to sleep in a pram? You rock him and talk to him to simulate the motion and closeness of your own body.

Now who’s starting to look more “developed”?

 

There are a huge variety of baby carriers around, and every “Babywearer” has their own personal favourite, although some people switch between different styles.

 

My own favourite is the Mei Tai, which is basically a square of fabric with straps at each corner. Because of its simple design it can be used in a variety of different positions. Simply put though, the bottom straps are tied around your waist, and the top straps go over your shoulders and wrap around you, and are then knotted, securely strapping your baby to your body.

 

Another popular type is the Ring Sling, which is a long piece of fabric, with rings at one end. The fabric is threaded through the rings, and back on itself, to form a circle, which is very secure. The baby lies in the pouch that is formed.

 

Probably the first to be “invented” and indeed, still widely used, is a “wrap” or “piece of cloth”, which is quite simply tied around baby and carer, or folded into a sling shape.

 

These types of sling are adjustable, and one size does fit all. There are many more variations of carriers, involving headrests, padding and different shapes – and that’s before you even look at the vast array of colours and patterns available.

 

So, are they easy to use? Surely they can’t be as convenient as a pushchair? Yes, they are very easy, and they fold up small. Can you get a pushchair in your handbag? Can you afford a pushchair to go with every outfit?

 

You can go up stairs, through narrow doorways or for a pleasant summer walk. And you don’t have to push an empty one round town when junior decides he would rather walk. So I would say yes. But, your husband wouldn’t be seen dead in one? Well, men with babies are very attractive – remember that Athena poster?  And Brad Pitt has carried baby Shiloh in one, so how can he object?

 

Having said all that, the main benefit for me, at least to start with, was that I regained the use of my hands after months of trying to make lunch, hoover, iron and just about anything else you care to think of, all whilst holding on to my dear son. So, slings, carriers, mei tais, call them whatever you like, are starting to sound like a good idea, aren’t they? I have to admit, I got in to babywearing through necessity rather than choice, but I do love it, and so does my now rather chunky 22 month old son. The only difficulty now is choosing which fabric for the next one…

 

The owner of SnugBaby, and write of this article, Claire Willis, is a mum with two children. After the birth of her second son, she discovered babywearing and, decided to design and make her own brand of mei tai carriers, which she now sells through her website, www.snugbaby.co.uk and can also be found at Teeny Munchkins

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Another great Article for Bits N Bobs

April 11, 2009 at 9:33 am · Filed under Uncategorized

Rachel at Bits N Bobs has been busy this week getting article into online blogs.

This is her latest which can be found on Mums Just Love:

rachmumsjustlove1

 

Keep the articles flowing Rach xx

 

 

www.teenymunchkins.co.uk

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Charlie Moos in Take A Break Spring Special

April 10, 2009 at 12:21 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

It has been a great week for advertising for myself and 2 of my fellow mumpreneurs.

Jo from Charlie Moos has had a fantastic article written in the Take A Break Spring Special 2.  It goes to show that having children does NOT mean you cannot successfully run your own business.  Jo set up her site  shortly after the birth of her daughter Megan.  Her site is going from strength to strength and I wish her every success in her business.

 

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www.teenymunchkins.co.uk

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Teeny Munchkins in Chopsybaby.com

April 9, 2009 at 5:50 am · Filed under Uncategorized

chopsyteenyWe were delighted to have an article placed in the parenting magazine www.chopsybaby.com this week.

The full article can be seen here http://chopsybaby.com/mag/?cat=9

There has been recent coverage ab out the use of BPA in bottles and the effects on childrens health.

We are proud to now stock BPA-free dummies/soothers and Teeny Munchkins is the distributor of the Lots to Say dummies in the UK.

Interested in selling these wholesale, please contact us and we will send you further info.

 

www.teenymunchkins.co.uk

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