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.
It is clear our little one is musical. She loves singing and dancing and often falls asleep when we have loud music playing. Therefore, we need to eventually take her to a music festival. She would absolutely love it. Are you also looking for Friendly Festivals?
It got me thinking about what is on offer. Here is my rundown of family-friendly and affordable festivals for you to attend as a family.
Either look to attend this year or keep them in mind for next year!
PLEASE NOTE – I have no affiliation with any of these organisers. The list is from my own research about places we would visit as a family
This is based in York on 12th & 13th August and looks to have everything you could want as a family. There is even camping available to get the full festival experience. Check out ticket prices here
This looks like a great range of activities, including comedy and literary activities. However, you can only book weekend tickets and it is quite pricey. Check out ticket options here.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
A collection of calm items for your tranquil peacekeeper – I think I might look in this section for myself
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.
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?
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
I hope you enjoyed reading my hilarious gifting story – we all have one.
And I hope you’ve found some inspiration for your gifting needs.
Need more gifting inspiration – check out all my gift guides here
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.
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.
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.
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.
To remember when gift buying
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.
Read about ALL the money offers I use on this page
We’ve visited Kidzplay Shipley before. And I first started taking my little one when she was a baby. Although it was daunting back then, as a new mum. They do have a designated space for little ones. And baby walkers to entertain the little ones. Or baby brothers and sisters, if you’re attending as a family. What I love about this is that there is also enough space to not feel like you’re getting in anybody’s way. This is essential when you visit a place to let your little ones run wild and free.
PLEASE NOTE – The session was offered free of charge, in exchange for my honest review
I can’t wait to have some time to myself. Coupled with making lasting memories with my little bundle of joy. Mummy life is definitely made better by getting out and doing fun activities. And of course, drinking a nice cup of tea – in peace.
Finally getting some Mummy time to myself
Babies need a lot of looking after, so it’s only within the last year that I can attend and actually have a coffee and eat my dinner. This time for myself to sit down and relax is valuable. And often something I simply don’t get for days on end.
The class we tried
Prior to the class, we were sent information via email to let us know what type of clothing to wear and the schedule for the two hours. As a pretty organised person, it’s great to be aware of these details before we set off.
The email confirmed the little ones would be allowed 15 minutes upon arrival to play in the soft play. And it was pretty quiet upon arrival. The kids loved running around for this part of the session. And I had time to order my food and cup of tea.
Introduction from the staff
One of the session staff introduced herself at our table and confirmed I could either stay or leave my toddler in the room. And they could make as much mess as they want. As a busy mum, someone giving you permission to relax is worth so much! Permission for my toddler to make as much mess as she wants, is also exciting got her. She kept asking whether she was allowed to make a mess and she was so happy when I said yes.
Entering the room
When we entered the room, which was at the side of the soft play. The class was set up for messy play with water. And it was impressive. I stayed for the first part and felt comfortable leaving her in the capable hands of the class leaders. Whilst I ate my sandwich and drank my cup of tea.
Returning to the class was so much fun. We ditched the shoes and socks for a really messy playtime. Standing in the water, splashing around and creating bubbles. Now my little one is a bit older, these memories are so valuable and I love spending time with her. She calls me her best friend. And I know these days don’t last forever. We make the most of every moment we have together as a family.
Any downsides
This is not a complaint, because we had such a wonderful time and I don’t mind paying for extras whenever we visit a place like this. We see it as a family day out where we spend a little bit of money to have a good time. For those unable to do this (we were unable to afford it for several years, until only recently) it’s fine to not buy food or drink – there is no pressure to do so.
It would have been good to have a kid’s drink included with the free meal they get. Even if a small additional cost is added to the package. It would just be something I didn’t have to think about asking for.
Will we be returning
We’ve already been offered a discount code and we will be returning. I can’t wait to have some time to myself. Coupled with making lasting memories with my little bundle of joy. Mummy life is definitely made better by getting out and doing fun activities. And of course, drinking a nice cup of tea – in peace.
Practical information
The centre has free parking, and accessible toilets, which are always lovely and clean. And a selection of food options on the menu…
Session times
Sessions run Monday – Friday with start times at 10am, 1pm & 3:30pm
Classes available
The centre has Den Play sessions and Discovery Play sessions available.
This time we tried the Discovery Play Sessions and we will be selecting the Den Play next time we visit.
Image courtesy of Kidzplay Shipley
Play, Class, Eat – Discovery Play
Enjoy a play around the extensive frame, experience one of the highly-rated children’s Authentic Play Classes and get your kids meal included! With a choice from 4 children’s favourites!
All this for £9.50!
Sessions are designed to provide “Authentic” play experiences for your little ones that you won’t find anywhere else!
DISCOUNT CODE
Use code PCEJUNE50 to get your session for just £4.75
Upcoming themes:
Week 1 (5/6): Splish Splash Splosh
Week 2 (12/6): Gloopy Gloop
Week 3 (19/6): Muddy Madness
Week 4 (26/6): Perfect Perfumes
Week 5 (3/7): Mini Picasso’s
Week 6 (10/7): Sandy Shores
Play, Class, Eat – Den Play
Enjoy a play around the extensive frame, experience one of the highly-rated children’s Authentic Play Classes and get your kids meal included! With a choice from 4 children’s favourites!
All this for £9.50!
Sessions are designed to provide “Authentic” play experiences for your little ones that you won’t find anywhere else!
Upcoming themes:
Week 1 (5/6): Camp out
Week 2 (12/6): Dino Hideout
Week 3 (19/6): A Fairy Fort
Week 4 (26/6): Kings & Queens
Week 5 (3/7): Cosmic Spaces
Week 6 (10/7): Pajama Party
How to book
You can book here – for the play.class.eat sessions, or just play.
Other play centres
Kidzplay also has other centres, in Harrogate and Leeds.
The soft play is the most impressive one we have in our area. With two big tube slides. A race track. A football pitch and soft play areas are divided by age, it’s great.
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.
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
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
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
Shall we look at some of the other Merlin Attractions in more detail?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Image courtesy of Warwick Castle WebsiteImage 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
I hope you enjoyed the rundown of these amazing attractions.
Have you visited any? Which one is your favourite?
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
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.
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:
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).
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.
#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
Halloween is one of the most magical times for many of us. Whether you have fond memories of trick-or-treating as a child. Enjoy donning your fancy dress outfits for a night out on the town or prefer to stay inside sipping a PSL, it’s always guaranteed to be lots of fun.
However, the holidays seem to become more heavily commercialised with every year that passes. New trends are always popping up around this season. Which tend to be bigger, better and usually, more expensive.
Enjoy a low buy Halloween and autumnal season without the pressure to spend excessively by using these three tips…
Here comes your Low Spend Guide to Halloween
Opt for activities instead of items
The supermarket aisles are filled to the brim with seasonal items during October. If you’re trying to reduce the overwhelm, steer clear of the temptation to buy, and focus on planning activities instead.
Some low-spend ideas to get you in the mood for the change of seasons could include:
Rotating your wardrobe, bringing out your comfiest jumpers and cosy socks, and storing your summer items away until next year
Taking a long woodland walk through the crunchy leaves
Binge-watching an autumnal TV series (If you haven’t seen Only Murders in the Building, this could be the perfect choice to watch it, whilst snuggled on the sofa!)
Get recipe testing
One of the best ways to embrace the colder evenings is to spend time perfecting a few tasty meals. Look out for new recipes to try which use seasonal ingredients. Such as butternut squash, mushrooms, pumpkin, apples or figs.
If you want some money-saving offers, check out this page
Warming vegetable soups with crusty bread are always a huge hit at this time of year, or try something a little different, like a butternut squash risotto.
If you’ve got experience in the kitchen, you could even try a Halloween-themed dish, such as pumpkin gnocchi or ravioli. Another option is to create mini pizzas or pies in spooky shapes.
For the cosiest family dessert, try making mini smores using tea lights, or perhaps a chocolate fondue!
Another tip, coming up in the Low Spend Guide to Halloween
DIY your decor
Instead of purchasing lots of Halloween-themed decor that is likely to be stored away for the majority of the year, only to see the light of day for one month of the year. How about making your own decorations instead?
Paper decorations are super cheap to make. And can either be folded flat and stored for next year, or recycled.
If you have small children, try heading outside with a bag and collecting dried leaves to make your own leaf crafts and projects. This could include garlands, collages or even puppets!
Another thrifty option is to collect any old glass jars and decorate them to make colourful tea light holders. This is a simple upcycle that the whole family can enjoy, and it’s free too.
Avoid adding to the clutter, and get your craft on this season!
Author bio
Taryn runs a money and lifestyle blog called ‘Saving in London City’ and is on a mission to share the best money-saving tips, tricks and hacks. Taryn discusses the best ways to have fun on a budget today, whilst also saving towards long-term money goals for your future, such as a house deposit or dream holiday.
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.
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.
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.
Welcome to my children’s books & toys gift guide. If you’re still struggling with gift ideas for Christmas, check them out. Maybe you want to donate some gifts to charity. Or you need a present for a nursery school birthday party.
Whatever the occasion, I have you covered with some fantastic ideas.
Quick note: Some of the links on this page are sponsored & affiliate links; if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and thinkwould be useful for you.
Children’s books
Full Media
I have worked with Full Media previously and I am supportive of independent book publishers. Several of their books were included in the blog post discussing Children’s emotions. Today, I have some new titles to share and some fantastic plush toys to accompany the books.
First, the reindeer got sick. Then Santa got sick. Now it’s up to Clara Claus and her slightly annoying brother Nick to save Christmas. But with toys to make, elves to manage, lists to sort and flying reindeer to train, can they summon enough Christmas spirit to deliver the perfect Christmas?
Clara Claus Saves Christmas is an exciting festive adventure filled with fun and Christmas spirit from the author/illustrator team that created the hugely popular Catch that Cough. Filled with friendship, family, heart and trust, as well as beautiful illustrations, Clara Claus is the perfect book to bring home this Christmas.
If you haven’t already read the blog posts written by this amazing science whizz, then head over there now. I genuinely look forward to reading her blog posts, especially the attractive and fun layout. And how she makes science fun.
I’ve recently found out she also wrote a book for kids. And I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Chemical Reactions brings chemistry to life with hands-on, science-minded activities and plenty of text-to-world connections that invite kids ages 7 to 12 to discover the wonderful world of chemical reactions!
This book is perfect for a Christmas Eve Box. I have let my little one start reading the book now, in the build-up to Christmas. And she absolutely loves it.
Discover The Lost Wish by Clare Anderson and Emily Jacobs, illustrated by Emma Kurran, where imagination is limitless, and pure adventure awaits. It’s a tale guaranteed to excite and inspire young readers everywhere.
Set off on a remarkable journey through a mystical land! Join Siena, a bright and brave little girl, who one stormy night, steps through a magical archway and into Elfland; a thrilling world of friendly elves, dangerous dragons, flying pixies and talking rats! Discover what adventure awaits her.
Buddy Soft Toy from The Lost Wish
I will be purchasing this plush toy, as an addition to my little one’s Christmas Eve Box. And to tie in with the theme of the book.
Buddy Soft Toy
Other great book titles we currently read at home
We actually bought Dave the Lonely Monster from a literature festival. Because it reminds my little one of a family member. This is one of the books tucked away on her high shelf, for safekeeping. And every now and then, Dave makes his appearance.
I love sitting down to read this book with her and we have hours of fun falling in love with lonely Dave.
We are huge fans of The Gruffalo books in our house. But recently our little one loves the puppet book and really interacts with the character. It is lovely to see.
Meg & Mog is such an old classic. We actually found our copy in a charity shop. My little one specifically asks for the ‘Meg & Mog book’. I just love the graphics and the feeling of nostalgia when reading it.
WoWow is a huge toy marketplace, with a great range to choose from! There are helpful sections, which are age-related and you can also search by toy type.
Help spark creative expression in your budding artist with this generously sized, deluxe wooden easel featuring both a magnetic chalkboard and a dry-erase board. The removable plastic trays mean that kids have loads of easy-reach art supplies (not included) at their fingertips. Plus 39 letter and number magnets that are great for extended play!
What will children pretend to bake up with this 20-piece set? Anything they can think of! Promote creative play and imaginative thinking with these food-grade baking tools made of premium materials like stainless steel and solid wood, sized just right for little hands and play kitchens.
The 32 pieces in this wooden building set include nails to pound with the hammer, screws to turn with the screwdriver, and panels to connect and saw apart.
We do love a good puzzle in our house. We are all problem solvers and it’s great to see my little one making the connections in her brain. And using vital skills, whilst also playing.
This challenging 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle comes together to reveal a collection of your favourite LEGO mini figures! Whether you are a Master Builder or have just started clicking bricks together, this puzzle creates LEGO fun the whole family can enjoy together.
We are huge fans of Bluey in our house. It’s the one kid’s programme we can all sit down and watch together. I won’t lie, the hubby and I get quite emotional at the lovely family moments.
My little one is a creative little soul. She loves sitting down with her paint pots and is so proud when she makes something of her own.
Every birthday and Christmas, she receives something creative from us. And we have hours of fun making something together. Then proudly displaying it on a shelf.
Final Thoughts
I hope you loved checking out these great items. I certainly had fun sharing the Children’s Books & Toys, we buy for our little one. And the amazing memories these create.
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