Thursday 31 March 2011

806 followers - time for a giveaway!!

Thank you for all of the encouragement while setting up my new business etc and for helping me while blogging about all and sundry! :)

Im going to have a little giveaway as I have passed the 800 followers mark so I think it only right to give a little something back :)

I will randomly choose a name from Mr Linky below and you will receive a £25 gift certificate to spend at the Frills & Fondant store :)

You could buy......happy shopping for one lucky winner, leave your name below and i will pick a random winner to announce on Sunday! :)


Monday 21 March 2011

Scrapbook shop and Channel 4 Cookery School!

After the last all day workshop I couldnt wait to start prep for the next one which is to be held on the 16th of April - 10am until 4pm, lunch included :)

Book here - limited to 10 spaces!

Hope to see you there! :)

I know im MIA from here a lot lately and I will be back later this week with 2 recipes from the new release Cookery School cookbook - I was asked to do a review and pass the info back to the production team etc so i have picked out a couple of recipes to try! :)

Full step by steps will be posted and also opinions on availability of ingredients etc - example... did you know you cant find ducks liver in durham...ive tried supermarkets, farm shops and local family run butchers and no one seems to do it anymore! Thats one recipe that wont work then! lol

Sunday 13 March 2011

Baby Roadshow event...

Yesterday saw our second fair, of course it had to be a baby roadshow didnt it!!

My hormones were in overdrive! lol So many pregnant ladies and teeny tiny babies.....anyways...

The whole show went really well and we showcased some of our new glass jar and bowl candles too. I also made up some of the cup and saucer candles which went down a storm and I only have 3 left!! EEK!

Heres a sneaky at some of the items...Please do pop on over to Frills and Fondant to see more :) Look who stopped by the stand to say hello......its the Metrocentre Gnomes :)

Wednesday 9 March 2011

National Coffee Morning Campaign Launched!

Theres nothing like a meet up and coffee with friends to solve all the problems in the world so this is why I am supporting the National Coffee Morning Campaign. This photograph was taken in Starbucks with my good pals Emma (who now owns her very own coffee shop!!) and Clare, who is teaching at the Creative Heart and Soul retreat in May! :)
National coffee morning campaign launches today

PRESS RELEASE: 09.03.2011

Launching today - a national campaign to engage with parents across the UK. ‘Get Together with yoomi’ will be connecting thousands of mothers nationwide in a bid to highlight the invaluable benefits of the classic coffee morning and promote the unique friendships and support networks that coffee mornings can provide.

The campaign, which is being brought to the UK by yoomi, the people behind the UK’s first self-warming baby bottle, aims to raise national awareness of the importance of parents supporting each other. A coffee morning is an ideal opportunity to swap tips, lend a sympathetic ear or share any worries mothers wouldn’t necessarily want to tell non-mummy friends.

The campaign is calling all mothers to get involved and is working exclusively with the UK’s leading parenting title, Mother & Baby, to help spread the word. The eight month outreach will engage with more than 400,000* mothers to encourage them to set up their own coffee mornings and will also provide ongoing support and information. Topical issues such as: coping with multiple births, bringing up baby during a recession, the growth of the cybermummies, how to become a mumpreneur and the reality of being a rural mum will be discussed throughout the campaign, using print and digital media outlets.

Mother and Baby Editor, Kathryn Blundell, spoke positively of the partnership:

“When you’re a new parent, it’s good to know you’re not on your own, so support and contact with other mums becomes essential. Having regular ‘appointments’ to catch up with other people - like a weekly coffee date - also gives you some variety and boosts mums’ confidence, which is why we think yoomi’s coffee morning initiative is such a good idea.”

Farah Shaikh, co-founder of yoomi added: “Being a mum myself, we at yoomi understand that sometimes mothers need time out. Having children is a wonderful experience but brings with it many challenges. A strong support network provides invaluable help in the sometimes difficult early years. Sharing experiences and unveiling some of the unspoken truths about motherhood over a cup of coffee with other mums can make it seem much more manageable.

She continued: we are extremely excited to be working with mothers across the UK and look forward to developing a nationwide network of like-minded mothers who will all benefit from ‘Getting together with yoomi’.”

To get the ball rolling and kick-start coffee mornings, yoomi will be supporting their campaign with over 150 Starbucks coffee vouchers (for a mum and 2 friends)** as well as Hamleys vouchers and other prizes available through Facebook, twitter and Yoomi.com – mothers need to watch this space!

*based on motherly readership figures of 54,000

** 150 £10 Starbucks vouchers for a mum and 2 friends up for grabs – minimum of 450 mums will have a free coffee and cake on yoomi

Tuesday 8 March 2011

My little brave man...

Here he is after having the plaster removed at hospital this morning. For 4 weeks he has to be careful not to bump it or he will be back at square one - how nervous am I about sending him back to school tomorrow EEK! He has to get the steri strip removed at the doctors and hopefully the gash wont open back up, swelling will go down and all will be well in the world again! In the meantime though hes really looking forward to going to school and showing everyone! LOL

Not only do i have the adventures of accident boy to share but look who loves the camera!! lol It is TOO funny - whenever we get the camera out she pulls the funniest, wrinkliest smile ever and so hams it up.....definately a scrapbookers dream!! (the boys took the one above hence they didnt remove the lunchtime bib and clothing from the radiators! duh - i will make them scrappers!!) LOL

Far too cute and boy does she know it! ;)

Sunday 6 March 2011

March...........already!!

OH MY Goodness, I seriously cannot believe it is March already! My little girl turns 1 next month and this past year has gone by in a flash - scary, very scary!

I have been MIA for a couple of days this week due to Ethan tripping over a tyre in the school yard and falling head first into a wooden bench! EEK! I was shopping at the time and when dh picked him up from school they swung by to pick me up on the way to the hospital and boy did i get a shock! His poor little nose was spread across his face, a gash across the top and his eyes all swollen! :( I have a photograph on my phone but its not a pretty sight so maybe best that i havent the foggiest how to download it onto my computer! lol
Anyways, he is a lively as ever and plastered up, ready for a visit back to the hospital tomorrow to make sure all is healing ok before heading back to school to show off his wounds on Tuesday! BOYS!!

I completed my first all day session at the Scrapbook shop yesterday - 10am until 4pm, lunch included and I think everyone had a great time! The feedback has been lovely and I am hoping to make this a regular once a month event, need to speak with the powers that be but fingers crossed it will all work out well :)

Im heading to a baby fair at Newcastle racecourse next Saturday if anyone is in the area - we are going to be showcasing our new glass container candles and table centrepiece ones too. The look so cute with the birth announcement tags hanging from them - hope everyone else likes them too and whats the chances of us taking a lot of baby powder scented ones with us... lol :)

Hands First Power Scrub Review

I am the first to admit I have 'old' hands! As you can image they take a battering daily, are constantly in need of washing and heaven forbid if the handcream is in the place you last left it! Yes, my hands are neglected!

When I was offered the chance to review a new product, Hands First Power Scrub & Moisturiser, I was a little dubious as to how a scrub could leave my hands without the need for additional hand cream. I AM NOW A CONVERT!This hand washing gel has an anticeptic, clean but good smell with no perfume - no bleachy, hospital scent or overpowering fake orange like some hand cleaners! It removed ground in dirt and made my hands feel cleaner than usual, leaving behind a wonderful soft feel - no need for moisturiser for the first time in years!

I would highly recommend this product to anyone who gets their hands really dirty - inky people - it works wonders removing arty residue!! ;)

Price and availability

The products are hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested.

Hands First Power Scrub+ & Moisturiser £5.99/225ml

Available online from www.handsfirst.co.uk, Lakelands (Power Scrub+ & Moisturiser only), independent pharmacies and www.pharmacy2u.co.uk