mummyconqueringanxiety

I am mummy to one feisty toddler and wife to a wonderful man, living in the North of England, UK and making it a priority to enjoy life every second we get to spend together as a family. You will usually find me writing, anything from lists to blog posts, and excited by stationery - show me your post-its! Following my recent breakdown, I believe talking about our struggles is the key to recovery. I started the blog because I felt compelled to share my story & my main goal is to help other people.

Downloadable Worksheets and Learning Books for ages 4-7

Welcome to my post about Worksheets and Learning Books for ages 4-7. I don’t know about you, but I constantly look for worksheets to complete at home, with my little one. She is very creative and loves solving puzzles and drawing.

There are so many free resources online, should you want to download and print your sheets. I will discuss and link some of the great resources below. And include links to books, should you want to purchase them for your little ones.

Worksheets and Learning Books for ages 4-7

Quick note: Some of the links contained on this page are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and think would be useful for other people.

Age-appropriate activities

When I read about gentle parenting and other parenting styles, one common theme is having age-appropriate learning. Content and activities to do, so that children can understand their abilities. We shouldn’t be expecting children to learn much beyond their abilities. That said, depending on your child, you may need to challenge them more. And this is completely your choice about what resources to download and use.

School or nursery themes

My little one is coming up to five years old. So we are still using some of the preschool sheets, in addition to the basics she is learning in Reception class at school.

I love that the school have regular home projects for us to complete. These are related to our favourite children’s stories. This leads me to our recent topic, which is one of our favourites – Julia Donaldson books.

Free Gruffalo resources

The Gruffalo was one of the first books we read with my little one. And we still have it to this day. We know it off by heart and also watch the programme on her tablet.

Our school is starting to read some of the other Julia Donaldson books, including A Squash and a Squeeze.

See the great, free resources available, if, like us, you also love these books.

Worksheets and Learning Books for ages 4-7

Shall we look at more Worksheets and Learning Books for ages 4-7

Varied Resources

The following resources contain worksheets that relate to different celebration days and television programmes designed for children.

Reading and Phonics

My little one loves doing phonics and we are just starting the sound blending journey.

Worksheets by age

I love a website that has the resources you need to be organised into sections. And what you need is easy to find.

Number worksheets

My little one loves numbers. She is currently asking what clothes size I am when we visit the shops. She reads some paragraphs from my books and goes by the page number. And recognises numbers wherever she goes. Therefore, it is important to learn maths whilst at home.

Worksheets for managing emotions

I’ve spoken on my blog before about Helping Little Kids Manage Big Emotions. We even downloaded emotion flashcards to help my little one tell us what was happening for her emotionally. Children are now always able to verbalise what is happening to them or how they are feeling. Below are some resources if you want to help your little one process their emotions.

Free worksheets for managing emotions

I previously created emotion flashcards for you to print out, Feel free to download them below:

feelings-and-emotions-flashcardsDownload

Sparkle Box

Be Happy resources

Wildling Books

Parenting blog posts

Feel free to check out some of my other parenting blog posts below:

My fave parenting blog posts:

IS GENTLE PARENTING EFFECTIVE? READ OUR STORY

5 THINGS THAT HAPPENED WHEN WE STARTED GENTLE PARENTING

HELPING LITTLE KIDS MANAGE BIG EMOTIONS

14 AGE-APPROPRIATE CHORES TO ENCOURAGE INDEPENDENCE

Summary

I hope you enjoyed reading through the free resources and great books available, to help your little ones develop in all areas. And do something fun with them at home.

Worksheets and Learning Books for ages 4-7

Ways to Initiate Etsy Gift Mode – Mummy Conquering Anxiety

Gift Mode Initiated

I love that Etsy has a gift mode section, where you can look at specific gifts based on the interests of the person you are buying for.

Initiate Etsy Gift Mode

Quick note: Some of the links contained on this page are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and think would be useful for other people.

Occasions coming up

With World Book Day, Mother’s Day, Ramadan & Easter on the horizon – it’s the perfect time to run through the wonderful gifts available on Etsy.

Initiate Etsy Gift Mode

A collection of calm items for your tranquil peacekeeper – I think I might look in this section for myself

Aromatherapy Bergamot Soy Candle, handmade in London – £13.50

Initiate Etsy Gift Mode

How cute is this candle?

The reviews also look great. I always check out reviews before I purchase a product and on the Etsy platform, they are easy to access and look through. You can also find details about how many other people have purchased this product.

Warrior pose Yoga art print – £14.00

The Warrior Pose – something I want to encapsulate.

The perfect gift for any Yoga lover out there.

There are also options for buying larger images.

Something for the wee one in your life

Kitchen Play Set | Beech Wood Cooking Set (9 Pcs) – £24.76

I still love our wooden play toys. Even though my little one is almost 5 years old – she still loves playing in her wooden kitchen, with her food items. The wood ones last the longest and they just look so beautiful.

Maybe you want an Easter gift with a difference. And to avoid giving the little one too much choccy?

Baby Girl Headband | Soft and Stretchy Cable Knit Bow Headband – £4.50

Initiate Etsy Gift Mode

We’ve all seen those cute pictures of babies and toddlers with the cutest headbands on.

Why not add to your World Book Day or Easter outfit, with one of these?

I am ordering one now for my little girl!

For the person who lives for live music

Gifts for Musicians – Music Brooch – £21.79

I came across this and it’s such a great gift. A unique piece to buy someone who loves music.

As someone who lives in a very musical family, this would be the perfect gift.

Personalized Instax Photo Album – £37.07

Such a personal gift for a loved one or a special occasion. Maybe you have a concert booked or want to capture some amazing memories.

Initiate Etsy Gift Mode

Now here’s the formula for the best science gift

Math Hoodie – Unisex Recycled Hoodie with all-over mathematical equations print – Sizes 2XS – 6XL – £77.09

Initiate Etsy Gift Mode

What a unique gift!

Do you have a science lover in your house? And would they love a personalised, hoodie – that relates to their special interest?

Robot Geek Kids Baby Shirt Science – £14.49

Initiate Etsy Gift Mode

Such a cute T-shirt for the little person in your life.

Someone who loves science – making and creating things. We have a creative child who loves to make things.

Funny Story about gifting

Do you have a funny story about gifting? Let me know yours in the comments.

MY STORY – I was 18 years old and my first boyfriend – first love – was staying over at our house. It was around my birthday and Valentine’s Day. The doorbell rang and a massive bunch of red roses was delivered. You can imagine the excitement.

Both my mum and I neglected to look at the card which came with the package. And assumed my boyfriend at the time had ordered these flowers (looking back, he wouldn’t have even known how to and it didn’t seem like something he would do).

We proceeded to thank my then-boyfriend, who was proclaiming he hadn’t ordered any flowers and it wasn’t him. As you can imagine, this awkwardly went on for a while and he was becoming more and more embarrassed.

I was feeling a range of emotions, mostly anger as to why he hadn’t thought to send me flowers. Haha – poor guy.

Anyway, we opened the card and they were from a magazine competition I had entered (I NEVER win competitions).

Whilst I was thankful for the amazing red roses, the embarrassment of the situation took a while to get over!

Final Thoughts

Initiate Etsy Gift Mode

Need more gifting inspiration – check out all my gift guides here

A Rundown of the UK Merlin Attractions To Visit With The Kids

In the lead-up to the weekend, I always seem to be on my phone researching the best places to take my little one. She is a recent school starter, full of energy and needs entertaining. Don’t even get me started on school holiday entertainment plans.

It’s that time of year, when I am looking forward to warmer weather and planning lots of family days out, to enjoy throughout the year. If you are doing the same, be sure to check out this great list of attractions. It’s always great to have something to look forward to!

The purpose of my new page FAMILY DAYS OUT – is to help other families find great attractions to visit -without researching them. Want to be featured? Feel free to contact me and check out more details here.

Merlin Attractions To Visit With The Kids

Quick note: Some of the links contained on this page are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and think would be useful for other people.

Images are taken from the affiliated websites

Let’s dive into my list of the Merlin Attractions To Visit With The Kids

Merlin Passes

You can book more than one adventure and save money! With annual passes starting from £99 per person, for over 200 Days of Entry (please do view the small print on the passes to ensure this fits with your circumstances).

  • Unlock access to the UK’s BIGGEST and best attractions for the smallest price
  • Off-peak entry only. Restrictions apply.
  • Over 200 Days Entry (view calendar)

attractions in Blackpool

  • Blackpool Tower
  • SEA LIFE Blackpool
  • Peter Rabbit™: Explore and Play
  • Gruffalo and Friends Clubhouse
  • Blackpool Tower Dungeon
  • The Blackpool Tower Circus
  • Madame Tussauds

attractions in and around Birmingham

  • SEA LIFE Birmingham
  • Cadbury World
  • Bear Grylls Activity Centre
  • LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
  • Warwick Castle

attractions in Manchester

  • LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
  • SEA LIFE Manchester

attractions in London

  • London Eye
  • SEA LIFE London
  • Madame Tussauds
  • Shrek’s Adventure
  • London Dungeon

Image created by Canva

Other attractions

SEA LIFE Centres in the UK

  • SEA LIFE Bray
  • SEA LIFE Brighton
  • SEA LIFE Great Yarmouth
  • SEA LIFE Hunstanton
  • SEA LIFE Loch Lomond
  • SEA LIFE Scarborough
  • SEA LIFE Weymouth

Merlin Dungeons in the UK

  • The York Dungeon
  • The Edinburgh Dungeon
Merlin Attractions To Visit With The Kids

Short breaks

When visiting an attraction or theme park, it’s always great to stay overnight so you have more access to the array of things to do. Let’s have a look at Merlin Entertainments and their great offers – if you are considering visiting the theme parks anyway.

Short Breaks Offer – 2nd Day Free –

Add your 2nd Day in the Theme Park for Free when you book a Short Break


Chessington World Of Adventure – offer valid until 03/03/24

Chessington World Of Adventure is made up of 10 themed lands, Chessington Zoo and SEA LIFE.

WORLD OF ADVENTURE – Including Adventure Tree CarouselRoom on the Broom – A Magical Journey, the Tiny Truckers ride and Elmer’s Flying Jumbos.

CHESSINGTON ZOO – Hundreds of wild animals can be found in the zoo, with two live shows at Sealion Bay and Penguin Bay.

SEA LIFE – housing species ranging from tiny shrimps and starfish to magnificent sharks and stingrays. With over 20 marine life displays.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Screenshot-2023-10-12-134031-300x192.png

Here are some tips if you’re visiting the park –

Take a packed lunch.

Paying for parking in advance is much cheaper.

Mobility scooters can be hired on the day, to help you get around the park.


Thorpe Park Short Break – offer valid until 03/03/24

With an array of thrilling rides, a beach, a playground and rides for little kids – you will be guaranteed a fun-packed day out. Your short break booking includes two full days of theme park thrills!​

Here are some tips if you’re visiting the park –

1. Check your height before you start the day, to ensure you know which rides you can go on.

2. Bring zip-lock sandwich bags or waterproof bags for your electronics – whilst on water rides.

3. Bring spare clothes in case you get a bit too carried away on the water rides.

4. Change into flip-flops when riding water rides – no need to worry about ruining your trainers!

6. Bring lots of water! You never know how long the queues will be.

7. Want to beat the queues? Head over to Nemesis Inferno & SAW first thing and work your way around the park from there. There are fewer queues at the back of the park at the start of the day and you’ll find yourself working against the crowds all day!

Days out

Nemesis Reborn Has Arrived! Opening Saturday 16th March 2024

Nemesis Reborn invites the bravest of thrill-seekers to tackle dominating drops and intense inversions aboard the ride. The Phalanx have lost all strength and now it’s your turn to encounter this terrifying creature.

Legoland Windsor

Merlin Attractions To Visit With The Kids

Legoland has launched a new mini-golf section and it looks fantastic.

You can book your family stay. Check out the seasonal events they have on. And the other special events, by clicking this link.

Bear Grylls Adventure

Merlin Attractions To Visit With The Kids

Located in Birmingham, at the NEC. There is an array of activities for your adventurous kids. Including – indoor climbing walls, archery range, iFLY wind tunnel and escape rooms.

Cadbury World

Join Freddo and a whole host of Cadbury characters as they whisk you away on an adventurous journey in the 4D Chocolate Adventure cinema experience, complete with motion seats!

Discover the origins of the cocoa bean and jump on the magical Cadabra ride. Seen the adverts? You will also get to meet the infamous Cadbury drumming gorilla. 

Sealife Centre Scarborough

Scarborough SEA LIFE Sanctuary is a unique indoor and outdoor attraction ideal for a family day out.

Penguin Island is a specialist enclosure, which was designed to let guests get closer to the animals. You can also meet seal pup patients and stop by the specialist Seal Hospital.

Gruffalo Clubhouse

The perfect experience for all children under 10 years old.

Burst through the pages of your favourite stories into a magical place of imagination, creativity, discovery and play. Adapted from some of the UK’s most loved children’s stories by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, with 6 captivating and immersive zones, this 2-hour play experience is enjoyable for a family day out.

The Dungeons York

See, hear, smell and feel York’s stories come to life before your eyes as frighteningly funny characters transport you through time.

Surprises await you at The Dungeon… Fear the Vikings as they invade and conquer York. Discover Guy Fawkes’ Gunpowder Plot and what happened that November night. Step inside the carriage to the York Knavesmire, where one of the infamous highwaymen Dick Turpin has returned.

Warwick Castle

Image courtesy of Warwick Castle Website
Image courtesy of Visit Warwick website

I remember a wonderful family trip we had to Warwick Castle, over two days. The castle itself is amazing. I remember the princess castle and I want my little one to experience it. We also managed to catch the knights’ battle, which was amazing to see.

What’s on in February?

  • Watch the spectacular Birds of Prey display at 12 pm and 2:30 pm each day.
  • Join an expert team of Historians for a free guided tour of Warwick’s past.
  • Journey through the exquisite Great Hall, State Rooms, and Royal Weekend Party.
  • Slide into the world’s first Zog Playland.
  • Get lost in time in the Horrible Histories Maze.
  • Indulge in a tasty afternoon tea at the Conservatory Tea House.
  • Visit the Princess Tower for an immersive storytelling experience, perfect for children aged 3 to 8. Get your free-timed ticket (weekends only). 

CLICK the links above, to stay up to date with the latest events.

Final Thoughts

Merlin Attractions To Visit With The Kids

Amazing Valentine’s Day Offers & Discounts 2024

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? The occasion is right next to a birthday in our household, so we usually don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day as a stand-alone occasion. But we do buy small gifts. And I’m on the lookout for some gifts at the moment.

If you are too, I have some offers for you…

Quick note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links; if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and think would be useful for other people.

​The Body Shop’s Latest Offers​

Valentine's Day Offers & Discounts

Free Valentine’s Heart Gift when you spend £35. CODE: VDAY

(9 am on Tuesday 30th January 2024 until 9 am on Tuesday 13th February 2024)

Free Vitamin E Gift when you spend £35. CODE: HYDRATE

(9 am on Monday 15th January 2024 until 9 am on Tuesday 30th February 2024)

Body Butter @ £14

(9 am Tuesday 9th January 2024 and 08.59 am Tuesday 20th February 2024)

Some of the gifts on offer from The Body Shop

Valentine's Day Offers & Discounts

The Sweetest Strawberry Heart Gift Box – £15

There’s no sweeter gift than our Strawberry Heart Gift Box. Inside they’ll find a Strawberry Lip Butter, Strawberry Body Butter and Strawberry Hand Cream, for all-over hydration.

Protect & Soften Hand Balm Trio – £16

Give their body care routine a helping hand with our Protect & Soften Hand Balm Trio, featuring our favourite picks from the Avocado, Almond Milk and Shea collections.

Valentine's Day Offers & Discounts

Nourish & Flourish Shea Duo – £8

Show them you’re thinking of them, with our Nourish & Flourish Shea Duo. This thoughtful mini shea butter gift set is ideal if you know they’re already a fan, or you want to introduce them to the range. It’s the perfect size for travel, too.

Nourish & Flourish Shea Gift Bag – £14

Surprise your favourite shea lover with this trio of mini treats, enriched with handcrafted Community Fair Trade shea butter from Ghana.

Valentine's Day Offers & Discounts

Valentine's Day Offers & Discounts

Nourish & Flourish Almond Milk Duo – £8

Soothe and surprise dry, sensitive skin with our moisturising Nourish & Flourish Almond Milk Duo gift set – infused with Community Fair Trade organic almond milk from Spain.

Nourish & Flourish Strawberry Duo – £8

Be sweet to someone with our Nourish & Flourish Strawberry Duo gift set. It features two body care minis, so it’s just as perfect for strawberry lovers as it is for someone new to the collection.

Valentine's Day Offers & Discounts

Cashback apps

Using Quidco for my online purchases has allowed me to earn of total of £86.29 in cashback so far. Sign up here using my referral link and earn a £15 bonus, once you’ve earned your first £5.00 cashback on the app.

Here are some more gift ideas for you…

Joules

Joules currently has a sale on, with 30% off winter styles. Shop the top-selling pieces that others love before they disappear.

Card Factory

3 Red Heart Valentine’s Day Balloon Bouquet – Pre-Order For Valentine’s Day!£16.99 
5 Red Hearts Valentine’s Day Balloon Bouquet – Pre-Order For Valentine’s Day!£19.99 
Hugs Helium Balloon & Hugs Milk Chocolate Hearts – Pre-Order For Valentine’s Day!£16.99
 Red Heart Helium Balloon & Sharing Cookie – Pre-Order For Valentine’s Day!£16.99 
Pre-order your balloon bouquets before 6pm on Monday 12th February to ensure delivery in time for Valentine’s Day!

Shopping with Card Factory? You can get 8% cashback by signing up to Quidco

allbeauty.com

Offer Details: £5 off £50 App Purchases. CODE: ALLAPP    

Start: 05.02.2024 – End: 11.02.2024

Bunches 

Bunches.co.uk is offering a 10% Discount. CODE: BUNFEB24 (on all orders until midnight Friday 1st March 2024)

​Check out all blog posts​

I hope you enjoyed reading through the discounts & offers available for Valentine’s Day, as well as some great gift ideas!

Valentine's Day Offers & Discounts

5 Important Reasons Hypnotherapy Changed My Life

If you follow my blog or my TikTok – you will know I love a message about improving your relationships. And your outlook on life in general.

It’s all about communication and openness. It’s time to look back on the amazing reasons Hypnotherapy Changed My Life.

Upcoming collaborations – NEWS

I am excited to tell you, that I am in talks with other amazing business professionals, to progress my self-development and also talk about their wonderful businesses. Watch this space and be sure to subscribe to my blog, so you can be notified when a blog post is published.

You wouldn’t just keep a computer for 10 years, without regularly updating it, deleting files and giving it a refresh. The brain is the computer which rules our whole body – why wouldn’t we keep up with the maintenance of it?

Sam – Mummy Conquering Anxiety
Hypnotherapy Changed My Life

Quick note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links; if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and think would be useful for other people.

Let’s think back to my hypnotherapy course

My hypnotherapy course ended in November 2022. At the time, I needed some self-development. But I knew that standard counselling or therapy wasn’t the option I needed. When you experience a lot of life-changing events in quick succession, it’s about reprogramming your subconscious mind, with the new life goals and patterns of behaviour you want to adopt. Kind of like a computer update.

You wouldn’t just keep a computer for 10 years, without regularly updating it, deleting files and giving it a refresh. The brain is the computer which rules our whole body – why wouldn’t we keep up with the maintenance of it?

A brief overview of what hypnotherapy does

The idea behind hypnotherapy is that it can be used to reprogram the unconscious or primal parts of the brain that function to avoid pain and seek pleasure.

EveryDay Health

5 of the main lessons I took away from my hypnotherapy course

We largely live our lives on autopilot, paying attention to our logical brain.

Hypnotherapy allows us to switch off the automatic brain, which allows us to reprogram our subconscious.

Reprogramming our subconscious can allow us to get rid of old habits, which no longer serve us.

Due to the primal parts of our brains, still ruling a lot of the daily decision-making, we can react with snap decisions, which don’t always serve us.

Practising meditation and listening to hypnotherapy recordings can empty your overall stress bucket. Making you more able to deal with the daily stresses we all face.

What hypnotherapy taught me about human behaviour

I’ve written posts on my blog about toddler emotions and gentle parenting:

IS GENTLE PARENTING EFFECTIVE? READ OUR STORY

5 THINGS THAT HAPPENED WHEN WE STARTED GENTLE PARENTING

HELPING LITTLE KIDS MANAGE BIG EMOTIONS

14 AGE-APPROPRIATE CHORES TO ENCOURAGE INDEPENDENCE

However, I was surprised to learn that ALL humans can react quickly and sometimes with anger. The way our brain processes situations is largely automatic and it will often produce a default response to situations.

If your default response is outdated because you haven’t reprogrammed your unconscious in a while. Your behaviours in daily life might not be in line with how you want to respond to certain situations. This is a simplistic overview, the mechanics of the brain are much more complicated.

The initial relaxation element of hypnotherapy starts by dampening down the activity of the frontal cortex. Limiting the effectiveness of this area of the brain, central to attention, planning, and making decisions, increases activity in other areas engaged in filtering and integrating information.
We become more open to information, more suggestible, and capable of creating more intense sensations in our minds (Thomson, 2019).

Positive Psychology

Hypnotherapy & how it changed the way I think

Completing training in the workplace and the fact I love to learn – meant I was already aware of the fight or flight reflex. But understanding it fully, helped me understand a lot about my struggles with anxiety. And the reason I reacted the way I did in certain, stressful life situations.

How hypnotherapy helped me become a better parent

Hypnotherapy alone cannot allow you to know everything about the emotional health of a child. And how to employ emotional intelligence when faced with tough situations. But it can open your mind to the science behind our behaviour. Essentially a child is unable to regulate their emotions and they need an adult to do this for them. Their outbursts, and meltdowns (however you refer to it) are nothing personal and they don’t have any control over them.

This allows me to understand that emotional meltdowns are simply a sign of communication – or a way to ask for help from the adult closest to you. If we think about times when we, as adults, have been so angry we cannot verbally put into words what is happening. Sometimes toddlers don’t have the words, but they express the emotion in other ways. To signal help is needed.

Discussions with our toddler

Hypnotherapy made me realise that toddlers and adults sometimes react without thinking. If we don’t understand something, our default response could be anger or frustration.

Whenever there is a disagreement in the house, or adults don’t agree on something, we use this as an example. To explain that in life, not everyone thinks the same. People will annoy each other, disagree, and argue. And that is completely okay. It’s what makes us all human.

Wonderful books about toddler emotions

I was recently struggling, to go further than this and say – mummy and daddy love you regardless of behaviour. Nothing changes our love for you. Then I came across this amazing book. See the TikTok video.

@sammummyconqueringanxiet

#duet with @iamsimplyysophie #istillloveyou I cannot tell you how much I love this book! 📖 As a Mum to a #toddler who struggles with certain things, it’s an important message! In the midst of #emotional #toddler #meltdowns & outbursts, it’s an important message for any child! One I was trying to verbally convey, before I first discovered the book! Now we sing the words to the book together & I tell my little girl, it’s how #mummy & #daddy feel about her ❤️ We now want to gift the #book to a #familyfriend & it will be sent from my little girl to her #schoolbestie 😥 Excuse me whilst I have a little cry. ❤️ Let’s all spread a message of #acceptance & #love PLEASE go & check out all the amazing books this creator has designed, to help children who struggle ❤️ #gentleparenting #mummycontentcreator #schoolrunmum #mummyconqueringanxiety

♬ original sound – iamsimplyysophie

If you want to do some further reading on this subject, I have included some books below:

Summary

You can read all about my hypnotherapy journey by clicking on the button below:

Hypnotherapy Changed My Life

Pin this post for later…

Hypnotherapy Changed My Life

What to Think About When Adding a Store to Your Blog

An online store is one of the most popular options for monetizing a blog. Starting a store that’s attached to your blog allows you to sell things that are related to it. Your products might be digital products, such as downloadable documents and files, but they could also be physical products that get shipped to your customers. Whichever you choose, you need to make sure you get your online store set up properly. There are a few things to think about before you launch your store. If you want it to succeed, start considering the following essential factors.

Adding a Store to Your Blog

Pricing Your Products

Pricing products can be one of the most difficult things about selling online. It can be tough to find the right price because there’s often such a big range within the same product category. Should you put your products at the lower end of the scale or go higher? How do you need to price your products if you want to ensure you make a profit? You need to do your research if you want to get it right. Decide where you want to position your products compared to any competitors you might have and in line with what your customers are willing to pay.

Adding a Store to Your Blog

Image from Pixabay – CC0 Licence

Providing Customer Support

When people buy things online, they might have moments when they need to seek support. Maybe they’re not sure which product to choose, or perhaps there’s a problem with their order. You don’t have staff working in a physical store, so you need other ways of providing customer support. One option is to add live chat to website stores, which will enable your customers to get help when they need it. You could also provide customer support via email and respond when it suits you (although not too slowly).

Delivering Your Products

Of course, you have to make sure your customers receive their products. If you’re selling digital products, you need to think about the logistics of how it will be provided to your customers. Will they receive a link for an instant download? If so, where will the files be hosted? When you’re selling digital products, make sure you check the VAT rules, as it can be tricky where they’re concerned. If you’re selling digital products, you’ll have to arrange for shipping. Will you be using drop shipping or a fulfilment service, or will you be sending out orders yourself?

Leverage Your Readership

As you’re putting your store together, make the most of your existing audience throughout the process. Start by making sure you choose products to sell that make sense for them. There’s no point in selling anything that they won’t want to buy. You can also get their feedback while you’re planning your store to see what they think. Use your social media following too, as well as your email list, especially when you want to get people excited for the launch of your store.

Monetizing your blog with a store could be a great step to help it grow. But it’s important to plan before you take the leap.

Adding a Store to Your Blog

Review: My Thoughts on Heavy Light By Haratio Clare

I came across this book when visiting the Bradford Literature Festival. I saw Horatio speak about the book and why he wrote it. I was intrigued. I signed up for the session because I had experienced my own mental health struggles. And honestly, I am all for people with a prominent voice speaking out against the stigma surrounding mental health.

Heavy Light By Haratio Clare

Let’s have a look at the blurb

A story of the wonder and intensity of the manic experience, as well as its peril and strangeness, it is shot through with the love, kindness, humour and care of those who deal with someone who becomes dangerously ill.
Partly a tribute to those who looked after Horatio, from family and friends to strangers and professionals, and partly an investigation into how we understand and treat acute crises of mental health, Heavy Light’s beauty, power and compassion illuminate a fundamental part of human experience. It asks urgent questions about mental health that affect each and every one of us.

Waterstones

First Thoughts

Based on my experiences and my awareness that people with privilege are often able to access better health services (this goes for all health services and not just mental health). I was dubious about reading an account of mental health struggles from a well-known journalist.

To clarify, I am thankful people with status speak out – it’s needed. And I would NEVER diminish someone else’s mental health struggles – because mental health problems do not discriminate. It can happen to anyone – it doesn’t matter how much money you have in the bank or how big your house is. But it DOES matter that people may receive fair treatment regardless of their circumstances.

Privilege addressed in the book

Horatio himself addresses privilege and talks honestly about his situation compared to people in other circumstances. The latter part of the book also discusses possible treatments and outcomes for mental illness, with some great suggestions for alternative therapies and up-and-coming strategies for addressing mental health.

Why I ended up loving the book

Although I was dubious at first, I ended up loving the book. So much that I stayed up way too late reading endless pages. Just to find out more about Haratio’s journey.

The main themes I loved the most:

Impact on family

The book explores the huge impact that Haratio’s erratic behaviour had on his family. And their worries about managing his mental health moving forward. This rings true for so many people out there. Ultimately, if you had a broken leg, the people closest to you would pick up the tasks you were unable to do. The same applies to mental health. When someone is unable to function, because of their mind, it’s usually family and friends who protect and look after you.

Discussions about mental health with children

Because I was mentally ill during pregnancy and with the pressure of becoming a new mother, it was inevitable that I would have to discuss this with my child. Although she’s young, we are always honest with her about things. And we always will be. Explaining that Mummy sometimes has things going on in her mind. Therefore, she needs a rest and some downtime. These discussions are something we do regularly.

I wrote previously about toddler emotions. Kids pick up intuitively on more than we realise. And they always seem to know when something is wrong or you need a hug. Don’t underestimate their understanding. And as a parent or carer, consider being honest about your struggles. And about emotions and life in general.

The science

The science behind mental health problems is something widely debated. And it has impacted the treatment I received from day one. For example, the doctor was understandably reluctant to prescribe anti-depressants. But when I actually looked into the studies behind taking them, the data was inconclusive.

There literally is no right answer to what impacts an individual’s mental health. Everyone is different and therefore impacted differently. The book explores this in great detail and provides a balanced argument for studies and therapies available.

Summary

I hope you enjoyed my review of the book. If you want to check it out, click the links below:

Heavy Light By Haratio Clare

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5 Topics To Get You Started In Talking About Your Mental Health

Why tell your story

I started this blog in August 2021, because I felt compelled to share my story with other people. Going through challenging circumstances, naturally makes you assess how resilient you really are. I was in a dark place at the time, social media and talking about my experiences really helped me. And I knew it would help other people.

Talking about your experiences could make someone feel less alone. I am now accepting mental health guest posts. I would love to help other people get their message out there – to the people who need it most.

Let’s explore – Topics To Get You Started In Talking About Your Mental Health

Topics To Get You Started In Talking About Your Mental Health

Everyone has a unique experience

I hope other people never experience the darkness of anxiety or depression. However, the reality is, that we may all experience challenging circumstances in life. There will be times when our stress bucket fills up and there needs to be an outlet. A healthy amount of anxiety is a natural defence mechanism. And in small amounts, it can keep us safe. But it’s when the balance tips that the problems begin.

Talking helps

It is no secret that talking to other people can help with our mental health. There has been amazing research on the power of community groups and connecting with our peers.

One main lesson I’ve taken from starting my blogs is that we can speak out – to help other people. But we may never know about the great impact this has. We don’t need to know. The purpose of kindness and empathy is to give it out. Not to measure the effect you had on someone’s life. Just know – that by talking honestly about your own story, you may positively impact someone else. You could even quietly save a life.

Sam – Mummy Conquering Anxiety Blog

Let’s dive into the topics you could talk about, to start a conversation which may help other people

The symptoms of your mental illness

Everyone is different. And like all other ailments, both physical and mental problems impact individuals differently. Talking about the symptoms you face, could help you relate to other people out there. Whi might also be experiencing the same thing as you.

Well-being tools to maintain your mental health

I talk a lot about well-being on my blog.

Since my mental breakdown, there are certain measures I have in place to stay well. I am now better at identifying anxiety triggers. And what to do when I start to feel low again.

Every person is different and no mental health diagnosis will impact people in the same way. Writing about what you personally do to stay well, despite your struggles, could help inspire someone else to adopt well-being tools.

Your mental health goals & aspirations

Because my mental breakdown was triggered by pregnancy, work stress and becoming a new mother, all of these factors are something I personally worry about. Overcoming this adversity and worry has proved to be a massive hurdle for me. But worth the work.

Often great life goals can be borne from the toughest of life circumstances. Writing about how you formulated these goals can be liberating. And it will definitely help other people.

Your daily & weekly self-care routine

We should ALL have a self-care routine. Despite what society tells us, it’s important. We look after ourselves physically but often neglect the mental health we should preserve and nurture.

Sharing what you do daily or weekly, to look after your mind can inspire other people to look after theirs. Or adopt some of your routines, which could prove to be life-changing for them.

An example from my own life was persevering with a Hypnotherapy course. Agreeing to start it was completely out of my comfort zone and some days, I was simply too busy to set aside time for the Zoom calls. But it was worth it. And I am now well versed in meditation, so much so that a quick 5-minute meditation recording really helps.

Life changes you’ve made to help your mental health

It’s a fact of life that we sometimes need to make significant changes in order to help our health. In the same way that you would eat less sugar if you were diabetic. Or you would pursue a course of physiotherapy after a severe physical injury. Sometimes we have to make changes to our lives to protect our mental health.

Sharing some of the life changes you might have made, with other people, may help them to start putting changes in place. Or start to think about the possibility of doing so. There is power in this.

Final Thoughts

One main lesson I’ve taken from starting my blogs is that we can speak out – to help other people. But we may never know about the great impact this has. We don’t need to know. The purpose of kindness and empathy is to give it out. Not to measure the effect you had on someone’s life. Just know – that by talking honestly about your own story, you may positively impact someone else. You could even quietly save a life.

Topics To Get You Started In Talking About Your Mental Health

10 Great Sustainable Clothing Items For Christmas Gifts

Ad – own products

With Christmas approaching, it’s the perfect time to introduce you to our family T-shirt brand—designs lovingly created. We hope you love them as much as we do.

Sustainable Clothing Items For Christmas Gifts…

Sustainable Clothing Items For Christmas Gifts

Let’s talk about the sustainability element

We picked a platform where sustainability was at the forefront of making the products. And the quality in designs and wearability is there. Everything is made from organic materials, using renewable energy. We must all start doing our bit for the environment and it starts small.

Why we started the family business

Who doesn’t love sustainable Clothing Items For Christmas Gifts? Welcome to Roaring Pumpkin Tees. Since experiencing a mental breakdown in 2021, I have made it my mission to share my story, with honesty, to raise awareness of mental health struggles.

My first blog Mummy Conquering Anxiety began when I had an overwhelming feeling I had to start talking about my experience.

THE DIFFERENCE – this is a family project…

If you follow my firstsecond and third blogs, you will know I refer to my toddler as ‘little pumpkin’. And oh my – she is fierce, feisty, and sassy! Just like her mummy. This business is dedicated to my very own roaring pumpkin. I made her. I’m proud of her. May she always go out into the world and conquer it.

Sustainable Clothing Items For Christmas Gifts
Sustainable Clothing Items For Christmas Gifts
Sustainable Clothing Items For Christmas Gifts

Ready to take on the roaring pumpkin spirit? Check out our lovingly made designs…

Shall we get into the lovely products we’ve created for you all

Women’s T-Shirts

Be Kind

You never know the struggle someone is facing. I hid my anxiety condition for 15 years. People sometimes feel ashamed to reveal their true feelings or struggles. Therefore, I want everyone to wear the message – Be Kind.

Being Kind can have a massive impact, which you will probably never know about. A kind word or gesture could literally save someone’s life.

Love

Love really does make the world go round. And it was love from family, friends and complete strangers on the internet, that got me through my mental breakdown.

Be kind, make connections, and express love. You won’t regret it!

I kept myself closed for years. But opening myself up, and stepping out of my comfort zone, was the best thing I ever did.

BEARbow

Wear our cute, loveable bear, proudly.

This lovely bear was drawn by my toddler, spruced up a bit using my hubby’s technical skills and brought to life by the skills I’ve self-taught as a blogger.

Men’s T-Shirts

MEN’s Gaming Throughout The Decades

If you know, you know.

Retro Was Better

Retro was better – we all know it was.

I tell my little one about having limited channels on the TV. VHS movies, DVD players. She’s had a tablet for a few years, with access to an Amazon & Disney+ subscription. So she doesn’t really understand the struggle.

But our generation knows about the good old days!

Ghost POD

Sustainable Clothing Items For Christmas Gifts

Who else loves watching programmes about paranormal activity?

In our house, we do! So we created this T-shirt for any other paranormal investigators in the making.

Kid’s T-Shirts

BEARbow Kid’s Hoodie

Wrap up warm with our cuddly bear. It’s definitely hoodie season. I love nothing more than wrapping up nice & cosy at Christmas time.

Know a hoodie fan, who would love this? You know what to do.

Kid’s BEARbow Long Sleeved Top

Sustainable Clothing Items For Christmas Gifts

Grab a long-sleeved top & a cuddly bear to keep you warm!

Bee Family – kid’s T-Shirt

Family is everything and what better way to display this, than this cute family of bees?

The BEARbow Babygrow

Sustainable Clothing Items For Christmas Gifts

Maybe you need a gift for new parents, or you want to style your little one in our loveable bear

Summary

I hope you enjoyed reading about all the designs we’ve lovingly created.

Which is your favourite?

Sustainable Clothing Items For Christmas Gifts

BEARbow Tote Bag

Take our cuddly bear with you when you go shopping…

BEARbow Sticker

Purchase our cute bear-on a sticker to accompany your kid’s T-shirt.