2010

Apart from still being overtired, I am optimistic about 2010. I have done alot during 2009 - given birth to a healthy baby for the 3rd and final time, reached the 10th year (but not the last!) of my marriage, successfully raised (and am still raising) two gorgeous and brilliant children, maintained my thriving internationally known design business and have happily launched myself onto the local scene, and finally, I have started to write the book I've always wanted to write since having had children here in England. Any tips on how to get published (non-fiction) - please please send in!

Looking forward, I'll shortly be launching a new sister 'PrettyBeautiful' website plus I'll continue to be at the forefront of family friendly networking. The dates for the upcoming Mumpreneurs Club Networking Events are here: http://www.whiteochre.co.uk/temp/mc/mumpclub.pdf

New sites:
If you need some advice about career direction, Mark Anderson here in Worthing can help http://www.kickstartcareers.co.uk/

Further afield up North, http://www.carinascotland.co.uk/ Live in greater harmony with yourself, your families and partners, and society

All for now. Here's to a fabulous 2010.

Meg

Christmas and New Years Closing

Please take note:
Christmas Closing
The office will be closed from end of day Friday December 18 until Monday December 28.

New Years Closing
The office will be closed from end of day Wednesday December 30 until Monday January 4 2010.

Have a Happy Christmas and a fantastic New Years everyone.

From Meg

How to turn Christmas shopping hell into easy peasy presto

Call me scrooge, but I loathe Christmas shopping. It seems to get worse every year but this year is by far the worst. Perhaps one contributing factor is my huge off-road pushchair that I love but curse every time I enter one of the high street shops. The aisles seem to have shrunk, the merchandise is constantly falling in front and on top of the buggy and the wheels either get stuck or run over some poor sod's toes every time I try to check out - not to mention the scarves, necklaces, pantyhose and scented candles that my baby grabs on his way and stuffs in his mouth.

The other day I had an armful of gifts which I was quite pleased with myself for actually finding and went to pay for them, only to find myself waiting in line for 15 minutes whilst several price checks very slowly took place and then just before my turn, the cashier lady just got up and left without any explanation or apology. There were 4 people behind me who all (without any small people with them) rushed over to the next cashier. I was stuck trying to maneuver the buggy and my two small children over to the next cashier, lost my place in line (although if I had been one of those other people, I would have let me go in front since I was the next person to check out) and had to wait a further 10 minutes in line. During these 10 minutes, my daughter began to whinge, my son said he was going to pass out and the baby started to cry. When finally we got to the front, the cashier announced the line was closing, and vanished without a word of apology. I was angry, frustrated, tired and gobsmacked. I had the option of yet again getting us all, including said buggy, into yet another line only to wait some more to maybe or maybe not check out, or I could just leave. I choose to leave which was a relief to us all apart from the fact that I wasted my time and effort on NOT buying any presents and put us all through hell in the process.

I won't mention which shop it was (TK Maxx in Worthing, which by the way, I used to work in the original TJ Maxx in the USA when I was in high school where we had weekly customer service training sessions - I see this practice has not made it accross the pond) and it is not the only shop I've had this type of bad experience in (although it is def the worst), so I have vowed to ease the pain and do the bulk of my Christmas shopping online. And since it is always down to the wife (that's me) to buy the husband's family's and friend's and co-workers gifts and cards, Christmas food, stocking stuffers and all the extra bits and pieces for the holiday and New Year celebrations as well, making my list even longer, I think this is the best decision for myself and my suffering offspring. Really, for me it is a no-brainer and will make for a happier and more peaceful holiday for us all. Below is a list of useful shopping sites. Hope you find them helpful and whatever you do, don't go shopping on the high street with a huge buggy.

Handmade cards, gifts and home decorations: http://www.prettybeautiful.co.uk/

Children's toys, woodend toys, dolls, games and crafts: http://www.playmerrily.co.uk/

Know anyone who loves faires? Fairy gifts: http://www.faeryfolk.co.uk/homepage.php

Brighton/seaside themed T's for those who are addicted to summer: http://www.redhotruby.com

Silver jewellery in lovely gift boxes - sale now on: http://www.delicatedreams.co.uk/

For baby and toddler gifts: http://www.elc.co.uk/

Unique and personlised gifts: http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/

Personalised gifts, room decorations for babes and children: http://www.preciousparcels.co.uk/

Nature and science gifts for children - lovely stuff! http://www.kidsloveearth.co.uk/

And failing all else, there's always Amazon, Ebay, M&S and Tesco online. Don't break your back this year, put your feet up and have a cuppa.

Happy Christmas shopping.

Meg

Holidays are comin' Holidays are coming! And business is booming. Lots going on here at White Ochre Design so get your requests in now for any pre-Christmas launches/updates.

This time of year is always so busy - crazy busy to be honest! It's all good fun though. If I can help take the stress out of any last minute ads or sales campaigns, then you know where to find me. For great ideas for the kids, see http://www.playmerrily.co.uk/

Meg

Trick or Treat?

One of my best loved childhood traditions is probably the most misunderstood and underestimated newly adopted cultural appropriation here. It just isn't the same, Trick or Treating means something completely different here. I was aghast when someone said they hated the idea of their child begging. Begging!!?? This was a completely new perspective for me which I tried to understand and now do (a tiny bit) on some level. However, this did not stop me from instilling this tradition in my own children because for me Halloween as a child wasn't just about Trick-or-Treating. It was about the costumes, the haunted houses, the school Halloween parties and family parties. None of that exists here (although it seems Halloween parties are slowly becoming more popular - hurray!). Halloween is, however, one of my greatest acheivements as an American mom to English children. They love it and they love it for the same reasons I did as a child. The excitement of creating the scariest costume from scraps of fabric and old socks and a bit of tin foil. The thrill of going out after dark feverishly clutching their halloween bag which is steadily filling up with all sorts of goodies. The satisfied, albeit slightly sickly feeling of eating not just one, not just two, but at least 5 or 6 candies before bed and on a school night no less. I know, I know, you brits reading this may scoff, but scoff all you like. I'm proud I've passed down this small nugget of classic Americana to my offspring, it is something they share unequivically with their American cousins whom they hardly know and never see. Halloween is the one 'holiday' import I actually manage to pull off. The kids LOVE it, it is now a part of our family culture and a few friends here have adpoted it under our influence.

Sadly, it marks the end of my acheivements as Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I have never been able to instill the same amount of excitement or appreciation. Perhaps it's the strange foods made from pumpkin? Or maybe it's the fact that it's on a Thursday - a working day - and no one has the time or inclination to bear it in mind. I miss it and must settle for experiencing it vicariously through my parents who consistently lavish Thanksgiving food and drink and holiday spirit on my siblings who annually flock home for this home-cooked mega feast. Ah, envy does not look good on me!
Anyway, moving on....

Business as usual. Get your requests in for the pre-Christmas surge! And have a great Thanksgiving, for those few I know here who actually recognise and celebrate it.

Meg

Half Term Closure

Hello all. It's that time of year when the weather turns ugly, the days get shorter and the central heating is set to ON. I love the beginning of Fall but here in England it seems Fall turns into winter far too quickly. Perhaps this is why I start planning for Christmas earlier each year, is it just me or do others have this same inclination? Or maybe it's just because I have small children.

PLEASE NOTE: Office will be CLOSED from Tuesday October 20 (midday) until Thursday October 29. If you need to email me during this time, please do and I will respond as soon as I can.

Hmmm will it be dark at 5pm soon?

Have a good half term everybody.

Meg

Family Friendly Networking

The first MumsClub Face2Face Networking event in Worthing hosted by yours truly and held at my house on Thursday October 8, 2009 was a HUGE success!

The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed and at the same time buzzing with lively conversations – there was plenty of constructive networking happening! There are so many enterprising mums (and dads) out there making it all happen for themselves around their busy family lives. It’s amazing really how many of us there are and it’s fantastic to meet and chat with like-minded mumpreneurs, whether just starting out or more established. We encourage and inspire each other and this type of support, especially for those just starting up and testing the waters, can be a life line and is invaluable.

Victoria’s Caterpillar Music session for the little ones was fantastic with puppets, musical instruments and lots of singing. http://www.caterpillarmusic.com Victoria holds classes in Worthing and does birthday parties in Worthing, Brighton & Hove and the surrounding areas. You can email her at Victoria.kennedy@caterpillarmusic.com to arrange a party or enquire about sessions!

The Sandwitch Bar http://www.thesandwitchbar.co.uk kindly provided delicious sandwiches and savouries which definitely went down very well. They have a lovely eat-in or take-away sandwich deli on Rowlands Road in Worthing. So pop in for a bite – choose from sandwiches, filled rolls, jacket potatoes, salads, pastries and cakes.

I just have to comment on how well behaved my 6 month old was. Actually, I think he was mostly in shock! Normally it’s just me during the day whilst the older two are in school and it’s very quiet apart from my tapping away on the keyboard - what a little trooper.

The feedback I’ve had (and am still getting) has been phenomenal and I’m so pleased everyone found it useful – there is obviously a demand for this type of networking. Must get going and organise another one. Watch this space!

In the meantime, I’ll be busy with all the new web projects that came about from this networking event.

If you want to find out more about MumsClub, please visit http://www.mumsclub.co.uk

All the best!

Meg