Rocking horses and animals are a popular baby shower or first-year birthday gift for new babies and toddlers as they make a beautiful nursery decoration and a baby toy that new parents will love. It’s not easy to pick the right quality rocking horse for your little one. Here. we are offering you some tips and advice to choose the best and right rocking horse for your kids from a few month old baby, 1-year-old toddler, to a young child, or for a girl or boy.
We have here highlighted a few areas that you may need to consider when choosing the right rocking horse for your little one - Size and Seat Height, Longevity, Mechanisms, Quality & Safety, and Styles and Designs
You can also shop our collection of rocking horses and animals here.
Rocking horses are not in one size fits all. Most baby rocking horses are with seats. So their sizes and seat heights are key elements that you need to consider in your baby rocker or toddler rocking horse decision-making process. There are rocking horses and rocking animals for as little as 6 months old babies. Also, there are some that can serve your children for up to 12 years old.
Putting the vintage wooden traditional custom made rocking horses aside, here are some normal dimensions of the seat heights you may find in many rocking horses in the market.
*Below dimensions are only a point of reference
Aged 6 months Plus |
28-32 cm |
Aged 9 months plus |
34-40 cm |
Aged 1 year plus |
46 cm |
Aged 18 months plus |
55 cm |
Aged 2 years plus |
60 cm |
Aged 3 years plus |
66 cm |
Aged 3 to 12 years |
83 cm |
Although you may think the smaller horses may not last longer, your little one can still ride on these rocking toys even when they are toddlers and get to 2-3 years old. Usually, baby rockers, or rocking horses for toddlers could cater to children’s weight of up to 15-20 kg.
It is hard to say which rocking horses are particularly good or bad. As long as your child and baby can fit in it comfortably, they should be a good rocker to keep. As you would understand some children are bigger in size and height than others. It’s just the nature of human beings. So for example, if your baby is 1 year old, but he or she is a smaller baby comparing to others, you can consider picking the rocking horse from the 9-month rocking horses and animals instead. It’s all about individual decisions based on your own baby’s situation.
We understand when picking the best rocking horse, behind any decisions, mommies and grannies have different logics to decide how the rocking animal and horse will be used and how long they want it to last. Here highlight our main points for you to consider.
For example, if your baby is 9 months old, but you would like the rocking horse or animal to last for as long as possible, instead of the 9-month rocking horse range, it may be better to consider the 12-month horse range. Yes, your baby will most likely need your help to play with the rocker at the beginning, but because the 12-month horses are more than 10cm taller on the seat height than our 9-month horses, obviously it means there is an extra 10cm wiggle room for the child to grow into.
And for example, if your child is autistic, and maybe they are in their early teens, our 3-year-to-12-years-old range could still be a suitable toy choice given the benefits the rocking horses can give to children with autism.
There is no one suggestion to fit every family and child. Take a look at our full ranges to decide what may work the best for you and your baby.
From the history of rocking horses, many traditional, and modern rocking horses and animals simply use the classic bow rocking mechanism. Basically it means the horse sits on a bow shape horse base, usually wooden (or plastic in the modern world). When children use their upper body strength to force their weight forward and downward to the horse, the rocker tilts forward and backward to create the rocking movements.
There had been a newly patented ‘‘safety stand’ mechanism invented in the late 1800s. This alternative rocking mechanism was designed by Philip Marqua from Cincinnati, as a glider-type base. It was believed to be safer than the classic bow horse base and requires less space for the rocking horse or animal to move. (Referred to this blog post)
In our shop collection, you can see both types of horse base mechanisms in our selected designs. Our best wooden rocking horses from the MJ Mark handmade range is suitable for 3-7 years old or from 6 years old plus children with both bow-based and glider-based choices to shop from.
Either way, your little ones may require some assistance from you at the beginning when their upper body and back muscles are not fully developed and practiced to make use of the rocking horses and animals. As their body muscles grow and get used to the forces required to make the rocker move, your little ones should be able to move the rocker themselves eventually.
How to choose a good quality rocking horse and the animal that are safe for your little ones may not be as easy as it seems. Most rocking toys for toddlers or baby rocking horses available in the market will have passed or gone through safety testing procedures. When we select our ranges of rockers we do see the quality of the utmost importance.
All toys that are created and sold in the EU must conform to CE Safety Standards Regulations. It means the manufacturers are required to perform testing to comply with all requirements, as well as using all permitted materials and manufacturing processes.
However, as most of us will expect, most products are created in the far East countries in the modern-day world economy under a mass production process. Not all manufacturers are diligent enough to ensure the highest quality level of production is maintained.
When finding your best rocking horses, it is rarely possible to see them in person. For example, as part of the product research, we did visit a big chain baby specialist store in the UK and look at their range of rocking horses. Comparing to the ranges we carry, they did not feel and look as well made as what we support. It doesn’t mean it is not in good quality, but the difference is often so subtle that not everyone will spot the tiny differences of stitching, ways of sewing, and the ways they are put together.
Good quality doesn’t always mean being well manufactured. It can also mean the product development was well thought out for your babies and toddlers. For example, many of our Little Bird Told Me products not only are made with really great quality and sustainable materials and processes, but they also have great texture. Some are with a wipable surface considering the possibility of spillage from babies and toddlers. And their mane and tail are in a scrunchy texture to stimulate the sensory development of touch and sound.
After considering all of the practical and logical sides of the argument when choosing your baby the best rocking horse and animal, the final decision is often the most subjective, which is to pick your favourite design and style of the horses.
The first question is whether you want a horse, or an animal, such as a unicorn rocker, or sheep rocking animal, or donkey and rabbit.
If you want a fluffier plusher look from a rocking animal, our Nattou collection may be appealing to you and your baby with the lovely donkeys, rabbits, and other animals available.
For the 9 months, 12 months to 18 months old ranges, our Little Bird Told Me collection of rocking horses and animals will give your baby abundance of joy and stimulation in their motor skills and sensory development. Each horse (except for a few rocking animals), such as Biscuit, comes with a baby cuddly toy and rattle buddy (such as Biscuit and Skip). You are certainly getting 3 toys in one!
You may want to opt for a delightful design, such as ‘Pixie and Fluff’, or a classic, neutral style such as ‘Biscuit and Skip’ that will look stunning in any nursery.
Our most popular has to be the unicorn rocking horse - Celeste & Fae available in both 9-month and 12-month ranges. They are perfect for any modern pink and grey nursery and children’s bedroom!
One of our favourite selections is the Heritage Stable range which includes farmhouse country style classy checked textile and quality saddle seats tied on the horses. This range includes ‘Stirling & Mac’, ‘Rufus & Ted’ and ‘Chester & Fred’. They are simply beautifully made and elegantly stand against time in any nurseries and playrooms!
These rocking horses come in beautiful gift boxes too. And for this special collection of rockers, we offer free personalisation services to put your baby’s name on the rocking horse and animal for you!
Our MJ Mark horse ranges serve either 3 to 7 years old, or 6 to 12 years old children. The bigger horses are so solid that an average-sized adult can easily rock on the horse! (We don’t recommend you to buy one just for the adults to play though) These rocking horses are made to last for years, to be shared among siblings. They definitely prove to be a timeless centrepiece in your house!
You can browse our full range of rocking horses and ride on toys here. If you’d like more information about any of our rocking horses or would like some help choosing the perfect horse, we’d be happy to help.
]]>Who said an Easter Egg Hunt is only just for getting some eggs and chocolates? You can include your little one’s playmates to make this experience extra special! We have 50 top picks here just for your baby and toddler!
When we talk about Easter, people think of bunnies, sheep, eggs, and chocolate. What do our team at The Rocking Horse Toy Shop also think of also? The lovely cuddly farm animals that the sheep and bunnies live with!
How about riding on our Lambert the rocking sheep to go on this hunting adventure? We also have bunnies rockers such as Pauline and Nina! These rocking animals are suitable for babies from 6 or 9 months onwards. Fancy a lovely Donkey? We have Alex the rocking donkey as well! Not to mention one of everyone’s favourites, the llamas! Our Rio the rocking llama can keep your little one company in this outing!
We cannot leave our most popular Celeste rocking unicorn and Biscuit rocking horse alone! They both come in models for 9 months old and 12 months old plus babies and toddlers. They come with their own little buddies Fae the fairy and Skip the mouse. These animals will be great playmates for your little ones!
Don’t forget our beloved ride-on family. We have the forever popular Hubert the ride-on highland cow, and Moobert the simply adorable farm cow, with their buddy Bojangles the ride on donkey awaiting to take your 1-year-old baby across the field to hunt down all the Easter eggs!
When they are not out and about with your little one, these rocking and ride-on animals will sit perfectly gorgeously in your nursery or playroom. Many of our rocking horses and animals can be personalised for free as well!
To get more ideas for some sustainably sourced and produced traditional toys for your babies and toddlers, simply go to our Easter Gifts collection to browse all the suggestions to find other wooden toys and soft toys we have on offer!
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On this special Mother’s Day this year, we understand being a mom is not easy. Being a new mom to a baby is even a more daunting experience. We have lined up 14 great unique mother’s day gifts ideas for all mothers from cool new or first mothers to grandmothers!
In this Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2021, we have gifts from self care gift ideas for lovely bubble bath and crafting sewing kits, beautiful handmade jewelleries, antique tea sets, to vegan handbags and fashion, and gifts for new mommies’ babies and toddlers!
Shopping for a mother’s day present or new mum gifts? Look no further! Support small UK businesses this year and carry on together!
Simply start VIEWING the guide below!
This guide will be available until 14 April 2021. To view the guide AFTER that date, please click here, or on the picture below to download the PDF file. please note the button links in the guide are NOT transferred to the PDF file. Please use the Shop Directory below to access the individual shop website.
At The Rocking Horse Toy Shop i.e., our shop, you can consider shopping for a new mother or a mother of a toddler some lovely items, such as rocking animals and horses (many can be personalized), baby push along and ride on toys, wooden toys and soft toys and pull alongs, personalised baby and children’s gifts, and even natural rubber teether and toy rattles!
Not to mention, you can simply buy them a lovely GIFT CARD as mentioned in our gift guide, ranging from £5 to £100, and send it to the lovely mom digitally in the comfort of your own home for them to choose what they want for their little ones!
Here is the directory of all amazing small UK businesses featured in the gift guide.
Therockinghorsetoyshop.co.uk (this is us!)
Simply click here to download the guide now (please note no embedded links are in the PDF file). Click on the links above to access individual shops' websites.
]]>We have always been an advocate of ethical, and sustainably made toys. At our baby and toddler toy shop, you can confidently find items that are made from sustainable sources, particularly our wooden toy ranges. Below are the best sustainable wooden toys from 2020 that we have on offer, and we will constantly update this article as we change our products in the future!
These items will be perfect gifts for your little ones’ birthdays, Christmas, Easter, and summer holiday!
Many are from UK brands and designs so you can shop with confidence. You will find in this article, our recommendation for some of the best sustainable wooden toy types and items for 12 months old plus toddlers and children.
Just to clarify, you don’t have to buy only wooden toys if you want sustainable toys. It also doesn’t mean all wooden toys are sustainable. Our wooden toy collection stocks mainly items made from sustainable sources.
There are three types of wood materials can be considered as more sustainable than other wooden toys:
And you can read more about what reclaimed wood means in our article here.
Here’s our pick of the best sustainable wooden toys for 12 months old and over.
Shape sorters are great for your toddlers to develop their cognitive functions as well as a fun toy to play with. They allow them to develop their sensory ability via touching, feeling the shapes of these objects. They can start recognising different colours on the blocks, and as they start to develop the ability to see the cause and effect of the logic of this game, they will be able to put the right shape in the right holes in no time!
The perfect way to start learning about shapes, this lovely shape sorter box comes with 4 basic shapes and colour coded posting holes, and is decorated with zoo animals. Lid slides on and off to empty out all the pieces.
Made from quality wood and finished in beautiful paint, featuring our classic Studio Circus range characters. This shape sorter box is fantastic for engaging toddlers to have to problem solve and is easy to get the blocks out and go again because we all know- Practice makes perfect and this toy is ready to go all day and get those little brains ticking.
Happy and bright, this colourful wooden stacking toy is a timeless classic.
The six stacking rings can be threaded on to the central peg and then topped with the gorgeous smiling spherical face.
This simple toy is a great one for encouraging hand eye coordination.
Here we have a perfect little gift that is both beautiful to look at and lots of fun to play with- what more could you ask for! Made from quality wood and finished in beautiful paint, featuring our classic Studio Circus range characters. This shape sorter box is fantastic for engaging toddlers to have to problem solve and is easy to get the blocks out and go again because we all know- Practice makes perfect and this toy is ready to go all day and get those little brains ticking.
These great stacking blocks have numbers, shapes and animals to encourage children to enjoy numbers from an early age.
This Stacking rainbow is a must-have. A stylish addition to any nursery or playroom but practical too. The sections of the rainbow can be played within a variety of different ways, the only limit is your imagination. In the gorgeous, signature mild tone scandi styled colours, this stacking rainbow is a show stopper! An ideal gift, if you can bear to part with it.
This gorgeously finished Train set with 4 wooden character pieces. All made with quality wood and finished with beautiful paints and designs to catch the eyes of the little ones. Every child loves a train to push along and is an absolute must-have. It is fantastic for imaginary play, they can imagine and set their own scene to make their own story and what is better than seeing a little one get so much out of such a traditional iconic toy.
Babies love to bang things together. What is better than giving them an actual hammer to do that? They are great to develop perception, hand eye coordination and fine motor skills!
Our lovely eye catching Hammer bench which includes 6 well sized pegs is a must have for those busy babies wanting to play, have fun and make some noise whilst doing it!
Comes with a hammer which is perfect for little hands to grip and get hitting those pegs. Made from solid, quality wood and paint that is durable and goes on and on and never fades away.
Review from our customer:
My little one loves making noise, and thought this would be the perfect gift for her to do so while getting in some hand and eye co-ordination! Decently sized, beautifully made and really affordable.
A classic design from our delightful Studio Circus range with and fun twist. Knock a peg down with the hammer and watch as the opposing peg pops up. Entertaining and educational , encouraging hand-eye coordination and engages little minds at the same time. You won’t be able to resist having a go yourself!
It is a rather intricate piece of toy when the toddlers figure out how to lace the items together with a string. It will last them for hours of concentration!
We love this Farm lacing game, its great for concentration and fine motor skills which helps with writing later on.
All characters/barn and tractor are wooden, the board is cardboard, also included is a woven material bag to keep the pieces together and tidy whilst not in use.
Farm animal toys for toddlers of 1 year old. Developing fine motoring skills. Storytelling toys.
We love this traffic lacing game, its great for concentration and fine motor skills which helps with writing later on.
All vehicles are wooden, the board is cardboard, also included is a woven material bag to keep traffic pieces together and tidy whilst not in use.
Review from our customer:
My little boy has really enjoyed this. He has fun threading all the pieces together, but also likes to play with the individual cars and signs on the board that comes with the set. Excellent value for money!
Owl puzzle with stacking number blocks, is a fun and creative way to introduce babies and toddlers to numbers.
https://therockinghorsetoyshop.co.uk/collections/wooden-toys/products/chunky-dinosaur-puzzle-jumini
This bold and colourful chunky puzzle featuring 7 different coloured dinosaurs is sure to keep little hands busy! Perfect for developing hand to eye coordination and who doesn’t like dinosaurs!
This beautifully designed and brightly coloured puzzle is great for younger children. It has chunky farm animal character pieces, making it easier to hold in those chunky little hands, good problem-solving game.
Refine their fine motor skills. And learn the animals at the same time!
Chunky puzzles are perfect for little hands and little minds. Encouraging hand-eye coordination and problem solving, this Sealife puzzle is fun and entertaining with 7 colourful characters.
Refine their fine motor skills. And learn the animals at the same time!
Wooden Vehicles Puzzle for 1 year old, includes toy ambulance, wooden fire engine, and wooden police car, and other car toys.
Pull and push toys are a mobile toy that can be used for imaginative play. They are a great way to help kids develop their motor skills; improving balance, coordination and strength for those that are running around or are yet to walk.
Push or pull these adorable pull toys - these encourage imitative and imaginary play whilst also stimulating early walking and promoting creativity and roleplay.
As these cute and colourful animal pull toys walk their whole body wriggles, encouraging your child to walk along with them. The smooth motion of the animal makes it easy to push or pull and makes it the perfect toy for any little one learning to walk.
Pull along Caterpillar you thread it together yourself to make a great number game.
Also a lacing game - multi functional!
https://therockinghorsetoyshop.co.uk/collections/wooden-toys/products/jumini-pull-along-penguin
Lovely brightly coloured pull along penguins that waddle, here is something a little bit different to your usual pull along wooden toy.
Our little Studio Circus Activity Cars are brilliant little toys to play with at home or on the go. Made from our quality solid wood and finished in our quality paints in the beautifully eye catching colours with each car having its own individual character and spinning beads for little fingers to twiddle and play with.
Multi-functional - develop motor skills, educational toys of alphabets and numbers and a flexible toy for mix and match with other wooden toys for creative play!
From the nursery shelf to the playroom floor, stack, sort, play, display and repeat with these ABC Wood Blocks. Featuring printed letters, numbers and sweet icon illustrations like hearts, pandas, monkeys and flowers.
Our Discovery Blocks are fantastic sensory blocks with some of the blocks having a bell, a rattle, a mirror, and a kaleidoscope which are all fantastic for their senses of touch, sound and sight which is guaranteed to keep little ones busy exploring their senses and having fun with the cute Studio Circus creatures figures and also great for them to build and smash down to build again.
25 Traffic Building Blocks
These building blocks are perfect for getting your little one's imagination going and also fantastic for hand-eye coordination skills.
26 Baby Walker with Blocks
Here we have out gorgeous Studio Circus Baby Walker with Blocks. 2 Toys in 1!
It develops gross motor skills of your little ones when they are charging about with the walker, and the cube blocks will help them develop their cognitive skills and sensory skills with eye-hand coordination of building and sorting. Of course it is an educational toy to teach their first word, or how to spell their name?!
It has a pull along string for little ones to move the toy along with ease and crawl and toddle around with their favourite character and also has the bead maze for them to play with whilst they rest from whizzing around.
Great for getting babies moving and bringing their favourite creatures to life. Made from quality wood and finished in our beautiful quality colours!
Here we have out gorgeous Studio Circus Activity play cube which firstly- Looks fantastic and very appealing to little ones with all the activities on either side of the cube, and secondly- the top folds away into the bottom to make it easy to store away or take with you wherever you go!!
Made from quality certified sustainably sourced wood and finished in the beautifully coloured, quality paints.
The design features the classic Studio Circus characters and comes with three wooden block shapes for the shape sorter side of the cube.
Review from our customer:
This cube feels so well made and my little boy loves it! It's the first thing he goes to play with every morning and I can see it lasting for a long time
This fox maze will keep little people entertained for hours with its problem solving puzzle, shapes & animals all beautifully crafted in wood.
Review from our customers:
Was not sure how this would be. The quality is very good and my grandson loves it.
So, we have introduced to you 8 different categories of sustainable wooden toys that are suitable for your little one from 12 months old and above in this article. There are more or less 30 items here that we recommended you to take a look at and many have been tested and satisfied by some of our 10s of thousand customers!
They can certainly be gift ideas for birthdays, Christmas, stock filling, Easter and summer holiday. Don’t forget this is not all we have, come and take a look at what we have on offer now!
Shop our full range of sustainable wooden toys for 12 months old plus here.
For other age ranges? Click below!
This article will explain what motor skills mean and how we can help develop the motor skills of your babies and toddlers. We will also introduce some of the best selections of possible toys that could help you create a great environment to develop their motor skills as well.
Babies all start with nearly no ability to move themselves without help. From building their neck strength to hold up their head to starting to learn to crawl and walk, a lot of physical abilities need to be built up as they grow. One of the most important skills is motoring skills. We are not talking about babies learning to drive a car of course.
A motor skill simply means the skill required by your baby and toddler to move their body muscles. There are many different body muscles your baby learn to use them slowly in their first 1-2 years. In the educational world, motor skills are usually divided into two types.
Gross motor skills involve moving the larger muscles in the little ones’ bodies. Some examples during their first-year milestones that involves gross motor skills include:
Fine motor skills simply involve using the smaller muscles of our bodies, such as using our hands and fingers to do various tasks. Here are some examples of skills development that involves fine motor skills:
First, please don’t underestimate the power of our babies’ own development. Our bodies are born to learn to move and manoeuver our bodies as we grow, just as many other animals in the world, it is innate in our genetics. However, as responsible parents, we all would like our children to grow and develop under the best circumstances and aides as possible, to even hope it will help speed up the development process.
There are some very simple things that we can do to help our babies and toddlers to develop their gross and fine motor skills.
It may not be for a newborn baby in their first six to nine-month, but we can certainly involve our little ones in our everyday tasks to promote their motor skills.
It is common that we want to have some toys so our babies are not touching too many other items that they will throw up on, or drool on, or catch any germs from either. Here are some suggestions of good toys and playing items to develop their motor skills.
Baby and toddler rocking horses help build the GROSS MOTOR SKILL by training the use of their larger muscle groups particularly their upper body strength to keep them upright on the rocking toy.
Don’t underestimate the potential of a baby rocking animal developing their FINE MOTOR SKILL. Manipulating the handlebars, placing their body parts (like legs and arms) at the right place of the rocking horse all encourage the coordination between the hands, arms, legs and feet.
We have a full collection of rocking horses and animals for babies of 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year old plus to enjoy the benefits these rockers can provide them. If you want to learn more about what benefits rocking horses can bring to your little ones, please feel free to read our blog article here.
Click here to shop our rocking horses and animals.
Simply put, to play with a ride-on toy, your child will need to use their legs in order to have movement. This is just a simple on-wheel toy to make them exercise more when they don’t want to run about. When they continuously pedal the ride-on toys, the process will train their coordination skills between their legs, arms, and eyes in order to move the toy to the right place and to have fun!
They can just be helpful for your little ones to develop their fine motor skills, by manipulating the handlebars, controlling how much leg power to put on the ride-on toy to go further or shorter distance, fine-tuning their ability to turn the toy at corners etc. all encourage the coordination between the hands, arms, legs and feet.
We have a full collection of push along and ride on toys for 1-year-old plus to enjoy.. If you want to learn more about what benefits ride-on toys can bring to your little ones, please feel free to read our blog article here.
Why not check out our collection of Ride On and Baby Walkers here.
Most toys that you can find in the market should be able to help your little ones to develop their fine motor skills, even simple baby books can practise their hands and finger muscles to handling holding and flipping the pages.
Our shop fully supports non-battery operating and sustainable toys. So we have a full collection of wooden toys and baby soft toys that can do just that to help your little ones develop their fine motor skills.
Sorting and Stacking Toys - these toys are particularly good to develop your little ones’ fine motor skills as they are manoeuvering their fingers, wrists, and hands to handle the items into the right shape holes, and onto the poles. Usually many of these toys are made for as little as 12 months old to 3 years old plus.
Check out our collection of sorting and stacking toys!
Push and Pull Along toys - smaller push and pull along toys can challenge both gross and fine motor skills of your little ones. Some pull along toys are multifunctional so it can be another toy such as a bead coaster. Check out our little collection of pull along toys now.
Building Blocks Toys - Similar to sorting and stacking toys, building blocks help babies and toddlers to use their muscles to figure out how to balance the blocks as they build them up without falling. We have a small collection of building block toys available for you to consider here!
Puzzles and Games - Many puzzles and game toys involve balancing games, fishing games, building games, story games, lacing games, pegging games, and puzzle games etc. Many are suitable for children for as young as 1 year old. They are perfect playmates to be creative during play while challenging their fine motor skills. Please feel free to check out our collection of puzzles and games.
We have established the concept of motor skills, which can be divided into gross and fine motor skills. And via everyday activities and items, as well as dedicated toys and play items, you can help create a learning environment to challenge and develop your little one’s motor skills as they grow. You can check out our suggested collection of toys above that could be perfect to be your baby’s playmate as well as motor skill developing tools!
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As it becomes more common for baby shops and retailers like us sourcing sustainable materials when it comes to our baby and toddlers’ toys and items, natural rubber is another sustainable resource that many manufacturers opt for to create particularly baby and toddlers’ bathing and teething toys. We are here to help you understand more!
According to the freedictionary.com, natural rubber is defined as an elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus) that can be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products.
It is believed that natural rubber is the oldest type of rubber. However, it still accounts for more than 40% of the total volume, currently, a little more than ten million tonnes per year and its usage continues to grow. (Refer to this article)
Natural rubber is obtained from latex whitish milky fluid containing proteins, starch, alkaloids, etc., that is produced by many plants in the world. Only around 12.5% of the species of plants that can produce latex contain rubber. The function of rubber is not fully known scientifically but is believed to be able to aid plants to heal after being damaged and it works kind of like a bandaid to cover up the wound and stop it from bleeding. (refer to this article)
In terms of the chemical components, according to this article, natural rubber is a naturally occurring high-cis poly-isoprene. Approximately 94% will be poly-isoprene with the rest made up of some naturally occurring resins and proteins, together with small amounts of ash, dirt, and water. It is the resins and proteins together with the high-cis poly-isoprene which gives natural rubber its unique properties.
According to this useful article, the term ‘latex’ basically describes any polymer in a water-based liquid or viscous state. The word latex by itself does not refer to natural rubber latex.
What we have been referring to above is natural rubber latex, which comes from the Hevea tree’s white sap. Natural rubber is dry natural rubber, that is basically natural rubber latex that has been dried into bales that can be more easily transported and stored. It is believed that the extrusion process can generally control dimensions more accurately than a process using liquid natural rubber latex which means we can often hold tighter tolerances on our extruded natural rubber tubing and profiles.
As explained above, natural rubber comes from latex of the Hevea plants, which contains about 30% poly(cis-1,4-isoprene). Latex is harvested by a “tapping” procedure after the bark of the plants is notched diagonally, which yields 100 to 200 ml latex resin within 3 h. (Refer to this academic article) https://aem.asm.org/content/71/6/2803
This Youtube Video provides a great insight on how the latex is ‘tapped’ from the tree in Thailand.
It is found that more than 70% of this rubber was produced in only three countries, which are Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Amazingly, the United States, China and Japan together purchase 40% of all natural rubber. And 75% of the natural rubber is actually used for production of automobile tires (refer to this article), while others suggest 50% of the natural rubber is used for high performance tires for automobile, racing, and aviation industry (Refer to this article)
It’s also used in hoses, automotive parts, foam mattresses, and battery boxes. Because of its adhesive ability, natural rubber is also found to be used for new roads, and as part of shoe soles. And a small amount of latex is reduced down to rubber solution to make products like latex gloves or to use as a coating. (Refer to this article.)
Nowadays, natural rubber is seen as a sustainable material used to create baby items and toys, such as bath toys and teething toys.
Because natural rubber is a natural resource harvested from plants, for most human beings it is a safe material to use. However, in the modern age, we seem to be developing allergies for pretty much everything and many types of food. So the proteins in the rubber made from Hevea brasiliensis can cause severe allergies in certain people. (Refer to this article.)
Yes it is, compared to plastic which will remain in its form in the environment for thousands of years, natural rubber is a much better choice for elastic and adhesive material. However, it is a slower process of biodegradation (according to this article). Of course, more research is needed to find better ways to create and allow the natural rubber to be more biodegradable.
Natural rubber toys are:
They are hundred times better than using plastic when it comes to things like a dummy (pacifier) or bath toy for your children.
Baby products made of natural rubber are certainly unharmful for your children and safe for them to chew. Natural rubber is environmentally sustainable in the majority of the production situations.
Albeit its benefits and sustainability, natural rubber has its threats, such as its vulnerability of fighting against diseases as these Hevea trees grow in a single species plantation area, and the question of its supply due to the limited countries that are growing them in the world. Alternatives to Hevea trees are certainly something suppliers and scientists are seeking answers for. (Refer to this article)
As the years go by, scientists are thriving to seek alternative natural resources to replace plastic as close as possible. We all know plastic is harmful to our environment, hence as parents we should be conscious of not consuming plastic as much as we can in our daily life. One area that we can really contribute is choosing the right toys for our babies and children. By choosing natural rubber products over plastic, you are doing the environment and your future generation something good.
Interested in getting some natural rubber items for your baby? Shop our collection of natural rubber baby and bath toys here!
]]>In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Helen and Claire and their business Lister & Bruce which aims to provide beautifully soft, sleep specialist approved 100% organic kids’ pyjamas to the parents of the nation.
Lister & Bruce is based in Leeds
We have a collection of beautifully soft, sleep specialist approved 100% organic kids’ pyjamas. MyJamas have a unique twist – clever cuffs. These are matching cuffs on the left and right, wrist and ankle; meaning children know which way round to pop them on at bedtime. Children simply put on their pyjama top first using the image on the front as a guide and then match up their coloured hands and feet. We don’t claim to be teaching kids how to get dressed but they just love getting it right and it gives them a lovely little confidence boost right before they go to sleep. Anything we can do to support little ones’ independence is a good thing in our books.
We are a relatively new brand, so we don’t have a huge product line, but we are very proud of MyJamas, which was our first collection.
The feedback from customers, the Junior Design Award and having them approved by a sleep specialist really exceeded our expectations.
We are also extremely excited to have added matching sleepsuits to the collection.
Like most parents it was a desire for flexibility. We both wanted to work and do something creative, but we also wanted to be at sports day and school pick up without feeling guilty. Both previously working in Advertising we knew this would never happen working for someone else and so after a few glasses of wine and some grand planning, Lister & Bruce became a reality.
As mums we knew we wanted our initial line to be centred around kids and that we wanted to make and sell items that were beautiful (that was a given!) but we also wanted them to be different and add a little something extra for parents and kids. Whether that be in the materials used or in the functionality of the items, and so with a real focus on design, MyJamas was born.
We would recommend our sleepwear to any mum to be or mum with children aged 0-5 years.
MyJamas (pyjamas) are available for 1-5 year olds; are extremely high quality, have no chemical nasties in the dyes, and no scratchy neck labels making them perfect for children with sensitive skin and for all year-round wear.
The matching sleepsuits, are our latest launch for new-borns to 12 months, are also super soft with matching cuffs, although this is more of a nice design feature for little ones and allows parents to introduce different colours to their babies.
The zip-up front also gives parents a break at those sleepy night-time changes, no more trying to match up the poppers at 3am! The smaller sizes come with built in scratch mitts and enclosed feet, the 6-12 month design has open feet for crawlers and early walkers, along with extra-long cuffs to ensure they can keep up with growing limbs. They wash well and can also be tumbled dried which was a must for us. We want these to last so they can be passed through the family.
We are both inspired by our mums, what they have and continue to do for us with no questions asked and Lister & Bruce is a tribute to them. Lister being Claire’s mums maiden name and Bruce being Helen’s mums maiden name.
Claire – I love family time, especially when we are all together but if it is me getting to sneak away it would be catching up with friends over a long lunch and a few wines!
Helen – having just spent the last five months at home, home-schooling with zero personal space I would have to say a pamper day alone would be wonderful!
Claire – I live in Dubai and have done for the last 11 years. I am originally from Yorkshire and have been here during the lockdown. Every time I come back I appreciate the greenery more but having this moorland and amazing outdoor spaces on our doorstep really has been wonderful during this time and to be able to show my little boy more of ‘home’ without it being a fleeting-jam-packed visit is great.
Helen – The countryside as well. We love the outdoors and spend a lot of time outside and over the last few months we have really explored what is on our doorstep and we are so lucky to be able to enjoy this.
Trust your instinct and ask for help when you feel like you need it. There are no awards for doing it all yourself and happy mummy, happy baby!
It does get better! Remember that they can’t express themselves, communicate properly and they don’t understand their emotions. So, when they scream in your face or hit you just give them a cuddle! Don’t try and rationalise their behaviour because you can’t!
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Helen and Claire and their fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are their contact details:
Contact details:
Lister & Bruce Ltd
Website: www.listerandbruce.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/listerandbruce
Facebook www.facebook.com/listerandbruce
Email: hello@listerandbruce.com
Helen and Claire are giving out a pair of pyjamas or a sleepsuit to each of the two winners. You just need to confirm the size and style you would like.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
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In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Stacey and her baby massage business - The Peaceful Panda which is aimed to provide baby massage and baby yoga sessions. These could be a group session, 1-1 and even online.
I'm based in Bradford.
At the moment I sell a selection of organic baby toiletries, which I run alongside baby massage sessions. I offer them over zoom in keeping with lockdown regulations. I'm studying at the minute to be able to extend my classes to include baby yoga and workshops on teething, potty training and weaning. I am looking forward to launching my first workshop in September on teething which will include a massage on the best areas to aid teething and the resources to be able to make your own teething necklace.
I have just ordered some amazing new panda teethers which I am taking pre orders for.
I wanted a change of career, I currently teach part time in a school, but eventually would love this to be my full time job.
I am a relatively new business so Covid hasn't affected me too much. It's actually helped me launch my business. I have run a set of massage classes online.
I love the soothing lotion I sell. I currently use it on my 2 year old who still gets flare ups of her baby eczema. I also like to sneak some myself from time to time.
My husband inspires me everyday, he works so hard to get to where he is all to make sure he can give me and our daughter everything we need.
I love watching netflix, I’m into supernatural programmes such as The vampire diaries, The originals, and The Witcher. My husband is currently making me watch Star Trek.
I have a toddler so me time is often hard, but I do love to soak in a long hot bath with a glass of wine.
I love living in Yorkshire, I love you can travel just a few miles and see some beautiful countryside.
I always found that everybody wanted you to do things their way. I decided that it was best to listen ads take it all on board but still do things my own way. That way I didn't offend anybody.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Stacey and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepeacefulpanda20/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepeacefulpanda20/
Stacey is giving out 1x surprise mom and baby pack + 1x panda teether.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
]]>
In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Lindsay and her bespoke sign business - The Lettering Lass which is aimed to provide bespoke design for all of my cake toppers, garlands, banners, clothing and gifts.
York but I supply to customers all over the world.
I provide bespoke design for all of my cake toppers, garlands, banners, clothing and gifts. There’s always a proof for my customers to ensure they are happy with the design and then they are made with great care and attention to detail. My cake toppers are all double sided so the back is the same material as the front and very sturdy. They’re finished with a clear acrylic stick, perfect for photos.
I love all my products and as they are for gifts or celebrations I know they are part of someone’s special day. I guess I particularly love fun designs that give me a challenge to create and give the customer a huge smile when the receive them.
I’ve always made things since I was very young and loved giving homemade presents to family and friends. I have a special passion for fonts and as a teen did calligraphy for a photographer so became The Lettering Lass over 30 years ago eek. I come from a family who’ve made beautiful items for generations and even have an art teacher as a sister. My full-time job as an event manager allows for some creativity to make an event with a memorable twist, but I wanted my own business to be able to create and make items. As my son has gone through secondary school, I’ve had time to establish The Lettering Lass as a part-time business.
Since March it seems that everyone is eating cake! I’ve had so many orders for cake toppers to make those lockdown birthdays a bit more special. To create a complete package, I’m also just designing a range of banners and garlands to match the toppers too.
I’d recommend something personalised for those treasured photos, whether it’s a personalised Babygro, month milestone card, a christening cake topper or a first birthday highchair garland.
Martha Stewart is a great inspiration. She’s the queen of advice and making homelife and every occasion beautiful and perfect.
The Great British Sewing Bee, any cookery show but particularly love Hairy Bikers and Tom Kerridge, Cake Boss, Eastenders (sorry – it’s the only one), 911, One Born Every Minute, Holby City, Casualty, The Walking Dead, Vikings – far too many to mention.
Crafting and creating – there’s no surprise there. I love trying out new ideas and using new materials. Have just started using polymer clay during lockdown.
What’s not to love about Yorkshire 😊. I absolutely love the North York Moors and Ryedale as that’s home for me. The heather in summer, the moorland walks, Hutton-le-Hole, the daffodils in Farndale, fossil hunting in Runswick Bay, the beautiful stately homes including Castle Howard, the splendour of York Minster. We’re so blessed to live here.
Enjoy every minute, they are only teeny tiny for such a short time.
Cherish the toddler years, they are so precious. If it’s a challenge, just get fascinated, not frustrated. I mean really think about what’s happening to create a tantrum and there will be your answer and maybe how you can avoid one in the future.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Lindsay and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLetteringLass
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theletteringlass/
Lindsay is giving out 2x a personalised cake topper for any occasion in premium double-sided glitter card. Perfect for birthdays, a christening, baby shower etc.
Includes postage to a UK address, please claim by 31 December 2020.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
]]>
In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Stacey and her printing and embroidery business - Urban Paw Printing which is aimed to produce personalised embroidered items.
Urban Paw Printing and Embroidery
We are based in Birstall near Leeds
We are a small family run company producing personalised embroidered items, We dont have a minimum order quantity and we will work with the customer to provide exactly what they want.
Our favourite items at the moment are personalised baby comforters and personalised dog blankets.
We started by doing personalised clothing for our martial arts club and wanted to diversify into other aspects following on from requests by parents.
We are originally online based however during the covid pandemic, we have been trying to increase our reach to potential customers and also increase our range of products. We have had some delays from our suppliers so we have had to become more adaptive, luckily these issues are getting resolved.
Any of our products are brilliant as keepsakes for parents or their children.
We are inspired by individual who have been able to create and grow their small business while overcoming issues in their personal lives.
We are currently into watching crime dramas such as Bones or NCIS, We also like watching as a family youtube family blogs such as The Ingham Family, Fathering Autism and also Five Two Love.
We all as a family take part and also teach martial arts in the local community to try and help other people feel the benefits to martial arts.
My favourite thing about living in Yorkshire is that all of our family and friends live and work locally.
Our piece of advice is if you have a bad night, jump in the shower and come out fresh for a new day
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Stacey and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Email: urbanpawprinting@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UrbanPawPrinting
Stacey is giving out 2x unframed embroidery A4-size fabric baby print - can be done in blue or pink.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
]]>
In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Beth and her Reiki business - 7Lilies which is aimed to help our soul healing and enhancement with the use of Reiki, Crystal Therapy, Hopi Ear Candles, Paraffin Wax Hand/Feet Spa Treatment and Reflexology.
Check out our Facebook Live interview with Beth in August! She will tell you more about her business and expertise and a bit about herself!
Leeds
Me? I like combining therapies to better enhance the treatment provided, my business started for love of animals and trying to help them. I'm a genuine person, if I can't help but feel I know someone who can, I will point you in their direction or a direction if I don't know anyone. I'm quite bad at being a businesswoman because I'm great at pointing people to other people or places to buy from rather than myself as long as they know what they should be looking for.
I love all my treatments but hot wax is great - I've not melted any of my waxes yet since I finally got my treatment room as I haven't had any clients but I feel if I did melt them there might not be any wax left for clients.
It kinda chose me, I was always interested in holistic treatments but never got round to doing any courses because I always needed to work after leaving uni rather than leave work and go on a course. In the end it all came down to a rabbit - Twinks he got me on the path and I've been trying to go with the flow since https://7lilies.com/about-7lilies/
I have taken the time to spend on myself, although I have sold crystals and can send out jewellery. I offer distant healing but not really advertised it either (bad business woman again).
Reiki is good for everyone, for adults crystal therapy is good. Also for aching feet for mums - hot wax foot treatment. I'm also a student in reflexology.
Animals inspire me, bunnies especially. People underestimate them but they are amazing creatures, I always liken them the Monty Pythons black knight when I've seen them ill, they will just keep on fighting at times - they just have amazing characters, even the grumpy ones. I really love grumpy rabbits.
I have quite an eclectic taste so it depends on the day and what mood I am in - I do get lost in a good book though - historical/conspiratory fiction is a genre I like - currently reading Steve Berry's Cotton Malone collection after just devouring Scott Mariani's Ben Hope series... but them on tv and I may be lost for weeks.
I'm really bad at doing as I say to others. I do like lighting all my candles at night and just chilling in their light, watching some tv or if light enough reading a book.. silence can be very healing
Not being too far from being near the countryside. I love the fact I can take a quick drive and I can be on the moors or some big park, which reminds me of home - Cheshire.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Beth and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: www.7lilies.com
Phone number: 07975717341
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/7lilies
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7lilies.therapies.jewellery
Beth is giving out 2x £10 off an inhouse treatment (except Reflexology), jewellery or crystals.
Distant healing is free for the first session then if you come back for more you pay (I always feel bad charging for the first treatment in case the person doesn't feel anything, unless they feel something I could have done nothing, but if they felt benefit and come back then I can feel happy about charging) so if they would like to try a free distant healing and if they like it then they can use the voucher to go towards another distant session.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
]]>
In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Nic and her children first aid business - Daisy First Aid Leeds which is aimed to make learning baby and child first aid fun and easy.
I am based in Leeds but cover surrounding areas. There are also lots of Daisies around the UK.
I make learning baby and child first aid fun and easy. I use my own experiences of having two wonderful but clumsy girls to help make what I talk about relatable and is real life. My classes are definitely not boring and what can be better than having the knowledge to save your little one’s life!
Definitely my parent first aid classes – I love meeting new parents and getting some baby cuddles! I love leaving someone’s house seeing that they have more confidence in themselves and what they are doing.
I wanted to do something that would help parents and families and be able to work around being there for my own children.
I have moved our classes online because an accident won’t wait until you are first aid trained or COVID-19 goes away.
Our Baby & Child First Aid class – it covers all the things that are most likely to happen such as choking and seizures, as well as how to deal with an emergency, CPR, meningitis and lots more.
My little ones inspire me everyday. They absolutely love life and always want to take on the next adventure without any fear or doubts.
I could watch Gavin and Stacey all day! Smithy has to say yes, right!!
In reality its normally Hey Duggee that is always on in our house. But who doesn’t love the big brown dog. He even has his first aid badge!
I love reading (when I get 5minutes!) with a huge cup of Yorkshire Tea and a bar of chocolate.
Going to watch Rugby League
Trust your gut instincts. You know your little one better than anyone else. If something is telling you something isn’t right, get it checked out. Ring 999 if its an emergency or 111 for advice.
Always supervise your children when eating. It only takes seconds for your child to start choking. What many people don’t realise is that severe choking is silent. They won’t cough or make a noise.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Nic and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: www.daisyfirstaid.com/daisy-first-aid-leeds
Phone: 07872992163
Email: leeds@daisyfirstaid.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/daisyfirstaidleeds
Instagram: www.instagram.com/daisyfirstaidleeds
Nic is giving out 2 x Daisy First Aid Manual & Choking Magnets to the winners of the giveaway.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
]]>
In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Rebecca and her children's book business - The Book Den which is not only to aim to share gorgeous books with more families but to ensure the right books are recommended for your child’s age & interests & to offer a truly personal shopping experience.
Halifax
My aim of being an Usborne Organiser is to not only share these gorgeous books with more families but to ensure the right books are recommended for your child’s age & interests & to offer a truly personal shopping experience. If you’re looking for birthday presents or boredom busters, I can make personalised bundles to suit your children’s age, interests and budget. The bundle will always be of more value than what you pay and will save you time searching the website!
Usborne have nearly 3000 books and activities in their catalogue so it really is difficult to say what my favourite is but a couple that we have loved so far are the noisy books that are interactive and amusing for little ones, 100 paper airplanes – 100 printed pages to fold and fly, we had loads of fun racing our designs. The magic painting books are another hit – great for boredom busting and all you need is water – mess-free painting!! We’ve even taken a couple of pages out with us so my son can paint whilst we wait for our food in a restaurant!
I was brought up with a love of books and reading and I always hoped I could pass this on to my son. I am loving working for Usborne & wish I’d done it long ago!
I joined Usborne books during lockdown when my wedding business went on hold. This was to give me something to do to keep me busy but also so my son and I would have some lovely books to read.
As well as activity books and storybooks, Usborne also have a huge range of educational books which have been invaluable and in high demand by parents during the lockdown, whilst home-schooling.
Usborne has a huge range of books for babies and children up to the age of around 14 with young adult fiction. The interactive nature of a lot of the books are great for babies and toddlers alike, they are beautifully illustrated and a lot are hard pages so nice and sturdy!
Build- a-library baby showers or book parties for NCT groups are a great way to showcase the books that can feature on a nursery bookshelf & offer free books and discounts for the host. Parties have been held over Zoom or Facebook during lockdown – complete with games and prizes!
I am inspired by mums in business – mums working around their family life and running a successful business. Having been self employed and running my own wedding business whilst having a small child I know that challenges that not just women in business face but also mums and how many things there are to juggle!
Ooh if I got a day to binge on TV (a very rare thing now!!) it would have to be American dramas like Blue Bloods, 911, Grey’s Anatomy, CSI! I love a bit of crime drama!
When I get chance I like to be creative – I love it when you have spent time on a project and have something to show for it at the end – be it sewing, quilting, cross stitch, colouring, crafting, card making or using my Cricut vinyl machine!
I am Yorkshire born and bred so I have to say I love the scenery and the beautiful places we have on our doorstep.
A piece of advice for mum’s with newborns would be to enjoy it, savour the moments and appreciate how little they are because it goes so fast and it’s amazing how much you forget, even a couple of years on! I am so glad we used our milestone cards and I did a baby book up to 12 months.
For mums with toddlers – By no means am I an expert but my son is 2 and half and I’d say dig deep for your patience. The tantrums can get a bit draining but get to their level and try and distract them and just be patient. They are learning so much, developing so fast and they are still so young but toddler age is lovely and before long they will be off to school!
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Rebecca and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: http://org.usbornebooksathome.co.uk/the-book-den
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebookden1
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/the.book.den
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/365941517749003/?source_id=106834851066705
Email thebookden1@gmail.com
Rebecca is giving out 2 x free Usborne books to our giveaway winners choosing from a few options (see picture below).
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
]]>
In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Kate and her beauty business -MamaLippys which specialises in colour therapy and helps moms and women to pamper yourself with her products.
Yorkshire/East riding border
I am a beauty consultant, I specialise in colour therapy and pampering yourself. I also operate some online services like makeup and skincare lessons.
My favourite ever product is my Setting powder, I love that it’s so versatile.
My business stemmed from finding that perfect lippy and I honestly never looked back. I've gone from a very demanding day job to working around my toddler, all because of a piece of makeup that made me feel fantastic.
My business has changed shape during lockdown and will be emerging with some new services including colour therapy (online and local) and lash lifting (local)
My number one service for new Mama's would be a hand and arm massage. We do a lot with our hands as a new mama, they deserve some down time too.
I am inspired daily by my toddler (my Mushy) who tackles the world head-on despite having communication barriers, I often think life must be frustrating but it never shows.
My binge show would have to be Friends, I remember watching the box sets in marathons and it still never gets old.
Me time is a little scarce at times as you can imagine but I love a good facemask and kitty cuddles when I get some downtime.
There are so many things to love about Yorkshire but I think the dales have my heart the most, they are so pretty I could drive around them for hours.
Advice to new Mama's - sleep when they sleep, as much as we want to love them all day every day you need to rest too.
And for toddler Mama's remember these stages do pass, don't be too hard on yourself for feeling frustrated or annoyed at them sometimes, we vent at those we love the most and you are their whole world to love.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Kate and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: https://mamalippys.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MamaLippys/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamalippys/
Kate is giving out -
1x free skincare routine builder (learn how to look after their skin tailored to your skin requirements)
1x copy of my makeup & skincare tips booklet. Consultation can be done online or local and booklet can be posted.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
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In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Debbie and her fitness studio business with her business partner Lucy Nickson - Millfield Fitness Studio which aims to bridge the gap between community fitness and wellbeing classes and larger less personal gym facilities.
Our business Millfield Studios is based in York, North Yorkshire with a facility for face to face group classes and now an online virtual studio.
Run together by Debbie Jenkins and Lucy Nickson and our small team of instructors, Millfield Studios aims to bridge the gap between community fitness and wellbeing classes and larger less personal gym facilities.
Our studio is a personal group fitness, yoga, and Pilates studio where we offer more than just classes, we have built up our community with fun, friendly and effective classes, social online events, cookery workshops and regular challenges to keep our clients motivated.
Whilst we love teaching all our classes our Mums and Women’s group personal training programme is one of our top services where likeminded women can feel supported and motivated to exercise consistently and make positive changes to their health and wellbeing. This programme includes weekly workouts, recipe, and nutrition ideas and instructor and group support to ensure everyone stays on track and gets the support they need to achieve their goals.
Millfield Studio’s was born from wanting to provide the personal feel to group classes you get when running in the community with the high-quality facilities you would expect from a larger corporate facility.
We had to take the decision to close our building on 16th March this year due to the global pandemic and move our studio classes online. We have just re opened this week but after such huge success of our online platform we are now running a hybrid of both in person, live streamed and pre recorded Fitness, Yoga and Pilates Classes.
I guess a big thing we have learned working with pregnant mums to be and mums of new-borns/toddlers that finding a community of other like-minded mum’s/women is so valuable to help you with your own physical, Mental health and wellbeing, meeting other new mum’s/mums to be and providing support for each other in the wonderful world of parenthood.
If there is anything else, you would need to know about what we offer just ask.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Debbie and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: www.millfieldfitness.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MillfieldStudios
Instagram: www.instagram.com/MillfieldStudios
Millfield Fitness Studio
Phone:01904 593481
Address: 5 Devonshire Court
Green Lane Trading Estate, Clifton, York, YO30 5PQ
Debbie is giving out 2 x Day online Access Passes to either our Pregnancy Pilates, Fitness, Yoga or Pilates Classes.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
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In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Tess and her essential oil and massage business - Safe Healthy Happy which aims to support women to use essential oils in pregnancy to support their bodies to deal with these stresses of pregnancy.
Check out our Facebook Live interview with Tess! She will tell you more about her business and expertise and a bit about herself!
I am based in Stamford Bridge and work part-time as a Health Visitor locally.
My passion is to empower people to take charge of their health and that of their family’s. I work with doTerra essential oils and love to run workshops or simply support women to use essential oils in pregnancy to support their bodies to deal with these stresses of pregnancy and also how they can then use them to support them through labour. The emphasis is very much on education, support and community. An aspect I particularly enjoy is supporting people who would also like to share the oils with others and would like to develop it as a business. It is a great way to attract your tribe, who also want to use natural products to support their family.
My favourite product is probably an oil blend called Balance which is the grounding blend, it is really calming and supports you when you need that extra relaxation,, have anxious feelings and is a great way to start the day.
During these difficult times all classes have gone online and this has been challenging as you really need to be able to smell the oils to fully appreciate how these oils are different from the mainstream. Their purity is unique and unsurpassed. However we get around this by sending samples out to people so they can try before they buy. I use zoom quite a lot and keep connected with customers and those building the business through messenger and whatsapp.
I can also do baby massage classes, demonstrate hand massage and other relaxation techniques using the essential oils, and also do the superbly relaxing aromatouch technique massage. There is also information on how to use the oils with your family from birth onwards in a way that is safe, healthy and will hopefully keep you happy.
I am a mother of 4 and use the oils with all of them although they are almost all grown as my youngest now is 17yrs (eeek), so they all have their own accounts. I also love crafty things like spinning wool, knitting and sewing. We moved down to Yorkshire from Scotland 18 months ago because we had so many friends down here and my eldest had already moved to York. The separation from family in Scotland during lockdown has been hard, but I am sitting writing this in my Mum’s house in Scotland and we are staycationing here this week. I have loved walking in the country and eating out in lovely local restaurants. Something I also love to do in Yorkshire, discovering new villages and places of beauty to spend time in.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Tess and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: http://www.shhsafehealthyhappy.co.uk
Email: tess@shhsafehealthyhappy.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEssentialHealthVisitor
Tess is giving out 2 x a one to one consultation and 3 blends of your choice to be booked before 2 weeks after the winners are announced.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
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In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Elinor and her baby and children’s clothing business - Biddy and Bear which aims to custom make comfy and unisex children's clothes.
My business is based in Horsforth, not far from the airport, and less than half a mile from the primary school I attended - it's fair to say I haven't moved far!
Biddy and Bear is home to comfy and unisex children's clothes, all made to order, which means I can make them a bit longer or with a small waistband if your child needs it. I handpick fabulous prints and don't limit what you can choose based on your child's gender - in my view they're just clothes, so florals, diggers, rainbows, they're all for everyone, and all my clothing styles are perfectly cut for boys and girls, with plenty of room for a cloth nappy! I want them to have good hand-me-down potential to siblings and cousins too!
My favourite product by far is the harem pants. They're perfect on scrunched up new babies, and loose and stretchy enough for scootering and tree climbing. And the loose fit means they start off as a baggy harem style, but as your child grows, they become a legging - so they're great value and good for the planet too.
I started this business making for my own children after such disappointment shopping for clothes for them on the high street. I hated that the unisex baby clothes were so boring - we didn't find out what we were having in any of my four pregnancies, so being able to offer unisex baby clothing is a particular pleasure. And I had a boy and then 3 girls, and the sea of pink in the girls' department, the tiny short shorts, the skin tight leggings -they're just not for me! I found it all just as boring as the sludgy dull shades I'd seen in the boys' department with my first.
My business has always been online really, but during lockdown I pivoted to finally launch my website, which had been in the planning stage for months and months. With the high streets closed, I saw the opportunity to reach more people, and help out by sending gifts directly, and I've loved writing every single "happy birthday" or "welcome to the world" note, and I've especially loved the emails from grannies and aunties who've been sent to me to buy a gift for their toddler relatives.
It's so hard to choose just one product or service! I think I'll have to go with a combo of a Baby Led Weaning workshop and a First Aid Course, because I loved being able to go straight to real solid food with my younger girls (the guidelines were very different when my eldest was little) and being able to sit and watch eating their first solids foods, knowing the difference between gagging and choking, and that you've got the skills to step in if needed, is just brilliant. It made the whole messy experience much more relaxed for us!
I’m inspired by other people’s stories - both normal life and achievements through adversity. I love podcasts like How To Fail with Elizabeth Day and small business stuff like Conversations of Inspiration and the Indie Roller podcast, which are especially useful when you work alone!
We’re huge fans of Ben Fogle’s New Lives in the Wild - he is the nicest chap, and he visits all sorts of people who live all sorts of weird and wonderful lives in the wild for all sorts of different reasons. The formula is the same every episode but they’re all so different. It’s fascinating.
I don’t have a lot of me time to be honest - I’ve got three small children and an online business ... but if I need to get away I love meeting my friends for some rhubarb gin, or going for a good mooch around the shops on my own.
I’ve always lived in Yorkshire, in fact, within a mile or so of where I live now, but I love that we’re right on the edge of the countryside, despite having a big thriving city. We love escaping up to the Chevin or out to Grassington, and we’re yet to introduce the children to the 2p machines at the seaside. There’s just so much variety to explore. I wouldn't be anywhere else.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Elinor and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: http://www.biddyandbear.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/biddybear
Instagram: http:www.instagram.com/biddyandbear
Email: hello@biddyandbear.com
Elinor is giving out 2 x one pair of harems, up to age 6y, any in-stock print available on the website.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
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In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Charlotte and her home organisation business - Be Organised. By Charlotte, which aims to give parents and families achieve a physically tidy home and environment which benefits your wellbeing and souls!
I am based in HD8, Huddersfield but willing to travel within the West & South Yorkshire regions. I can also work with clients virtually where required / possible.
My number one aim for Be Organised. By Charlotte is to help people. I get great satisfaction in what I do once a job is complete and I see the joy on people’s face and the impact I have made to their home. I bring calm to chaos and people really benefit from what I can achieve, both physically and mentally. Its true what they say ... a tidy home is a tidy mind!
The most popular service I offer is a half day (3 hour) session to focus on one area of the home, usually either a wardrobe, kitchen or children’s play area / bedroom. In just 3 hours I can declutter with the client (helping to decide what to keep, donate and take to the tip), and then get to work on reorganising to make the space more functional in their home. I come prepared with storage solutions if required and happily take away all rubbish / donations on the day so you don’t have to.
Since I can remember I have loved to organise and reorganise; I have a to do list for everything and love to run a tight ship at home. Since having Rosie I have re-evaluated what I want to achieve in life and what makes me happy. Now I am leaving her behind in order to go to work, I needed to be doing something worthwhile to me and putting the hard work into something I love. This is how Be Organised was born ... life is too short not to do something you enjoy!
During covid-19 i have taken to doing more sessions virtually which has worked quite well for most projects. Its much better now I can work in people’s homes again though and provide a more hands on service. I will continue to take every safety measure, wearing a mask whenever I’m in the same room as a client, social distancing and carrying my own hand sanitizer to use regularly.
I offer a number of services that would benefit pregnant women, new mums or young families. These include: helping to set up for a new baby with nursery décor, clothes organisation, shopping list or equipment set up; help with day to day tasks such as home admin and finance management you might not have the time for; or declutter and organisation in the home including children play room / bedroom putting some useful storage solutions in place that they can use too to help you out.
Now I have a child of my own I think I’m most inspired by my own parents – not only for the childhood they provided me but also for the life skills and strong work ethic they instilled in us. Parenting is the hardest job in the world – constantly feeling the pressure to get the balance right ... I like to think my parents did a good job and hopefully I can do the same for Rosie.
I’ve never really been a big TV binge watcher. I’m currently watching a series called ‘Dead to me’ though on Netflix which I love!
My favourite self care activity is always a long hot bath. I shut the door to feel like I’ve really escaped, light a candle, sprinkle some bath salts and keep the hot water topped up ... bliss!
After living in Australia for 6 years I feel like I now appreciate Yorkshire even more than before. Its so so beautiful and full of hidden gems. On a weekend we love nothing more than a good walk out in the countryside followed by a nice lunch in a ‘proper’ pub.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Charlotte and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: www.beorganisedbycharlotte.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/beorganised.bycharlotte
Instagram: www.instagram.com/beorganised.bycharlotte
Email: be.organised2020@hotmail.com
Charlotte is giving out two x one free hour virtual session with her for guidance on decluttering and reorganising a small area of your home, how to manage your home admin or general advice and top tips!
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
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In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Alison and her baby class business - Tots Play which aims to give parents and carers confidence and inspiration to play in ways which enhance their little one’s development
Tots Play Leeds East and Selby
I live in a small village in North Yorkshire and run my business nearby in Sherburn in Elmet and Brayton, Selby.
Through my business, I run classes which give parents and carers confidence and inspiration to play in ways which enhance their little one’s development plus they have the opportunity to spend some special time together each week! The classes are different from others as they have a little bit of everything for little ones in each one… massage, yoga, sign language, music, movement and sensory play (and lots more!) I love the variety on offer!
It’s not a product or service specifically, but the friendships that develop between parents that meet through coming along to the classes.
I craved a career change- I was previously a primary teacher- and spent a LONG time figuring out what I wanted to do! Through the business, I can continue teaching and have increased flexibility to work around my family.
With a few minor tweaks, including delivering resources to customers, I moved online and have been running weekly sessions for the last couple of months for mums with little ones born during the lockdown.
For parents of the littlest ones, I’d recommend the Baby Development Course. These sessions are kept small to ensure a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where you can get to know others in those early (and sometimes overwhelming) days of having a newborn! Simple ideas and techniques for playtime are shared over the sessions and they can all easily be replicated at home.
I have a friend who inspires me in the way she thinks and sees the world. She’s great at looking at both sides of a situation and looking for solutions. I always come away feeling good after seeing or speaking to her!
I spent a lot of my teenage years watching Friends- it would be my specialist subject on Mastermind! I could quite easily binge all day on that but I also quite like a good crime drama or documentary.
That would be getting my haircut! I always book an evening appointment and make the most of an hour of peace reading magazines and drinking a hot chocolate with marshmallows. It’s bliss! After that ‘me time’, I meet up with friends who live nearby for a catchup. It’s become a bit of a ritual!
After spending the first years of my life in a remote part of Scotland (which I do miss!), I love the easy access that Yorkshire has to cities, towns, the countryside and the coast.
Put aside some time every so often to look through photos of your little one- there will be so many! Frame the ones you love, create picture books and photo albums to look through, make a canvas for your wall, upload to a digital photo frame. Make them visible so they’re not just sitting on a device!
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Alison and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: www.totsplay.co.uk/leedseastandselby
FB: @totsplayleedseastandselby www.facebook.com/totsplayleedseastandselby
Instagram: @totsplayleeds_selby www.instagram.com/totsplayleeds_selby
Email: alisonj@totsplay.co.uk
Alison’s giving out two sets of rainbow ribbon rings and wrist bells to be claimed by 30th September 2020.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
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In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Rachel and her Mama Unleashed fitness business which aims to create a safe, fun and encouraging environment for women to work out to be the best version of themselves.
I live in Gomersal, West Yorkshire and normally my classes would be based in and around this area but they are currently online. Moving forward, I will be keeping online classes as well as venue classes so people can enjoy my classes from anywhere in the country!
I run Mama Unleashed which is a fitness business all about empowering women to become the best version of themselves. I know how hard it is to find the time to workout when you become a mum, your needs sometimes go to the bottom of the pile but I also know how important exercise is for both physical and mental health. I aim to create a safe, fun and encouraging environment for women to work out and also a place to meet a community of like-minded women. The classes I run offer something for everyone, aerobics, HIIT, Stretch & Tone and Hardcore Abs, helping everyone on their own fitness journey to achieve their own goals, whatever they may be.
What is really important to me is that my business continues to provide classes that women want and so I maintain flexibility in everything I do, regularly asking my community what they like/dislike/would like to see more of. I also encourage the social side of the group, arranging regular meet-ups outside of class or virtual meet ups as they have been recently!
My HIIT and Stretch & Tone Class prove very popular and I love them both even though they are completely different! HIIT is crazy and hardcore – definitely a sweaty one, but the endorphin rush after is brilliant and we laugh (a lot). Stretch and Tone is very chilled, think spa music and candlelight, very relaxing and the perfect way to end a busy day and have a bit of ‘me time’.
I have always had an interest in health and fitness, doing a degree in Sports Science, but my career took me off in another direction after University. Two children later and a 15-year career in HR, I realised I wanted something different. I wanted to find a balance for being around more for my children but also pick back up on my passion for fitness. I initially started out with a fitness franchise but ventured out on my own with Mama Unleashed. I know what it’s like to try and find the time and motivation to exercise when you are a mum, I also know how isolating it can sometimes feel. Whether you want a class where you can bring your little one along or a class where you can have a bit of ‘me time, Mama Unleashed has something for everyone.
All of my classes have gone online and are available in my private Facebook group. Classes can be done live with me or they can be done at another time on catch up when it’s suitable. All classes stay in the group for 7 days before they are replaced with the new ones. Certain classes such as Hardcore Abs and HIIT stay on their permanently so there is a backlog of classes to go back and enjoy at your leisure.
My daytime aerobics class is perfect for someone who is pregnant or a new mum. I give adaptations throughout so you can work at the appropriate level for your fitness and stage or pregnancy/post-partum recovery. I am pre and postnatal specialist trained in fitness so understand what is needed for pregnancy and post-partum fitness as well as knowledge around complications that can occur such as diastasis recti. The Stretch and Tone class is also a really great class for a new mum and again has adaptations for every fitness level.
This is a really tough question! I would have to say the mums who come to my class. Starting an exercise class is tough at the best of times but add bringing your little one into the mix and it can be a whole load more daunting! Add on top of that a lack of sleep, feeling tired, a cranky baby, and a feeding schedule and it can seem impossible. However week after week my mums show up and work out, regardless of what else is going on. Some haven’t exercised for years, others want to gradually reintroduce exercise and some want to socialise and be part of a fab group of women – everyone has their own goals and I love being part of it.
I am a Netflix addict, I will give anything a try – comedies, thrillers, true-crime, documentaries – you name it and I will give it a go. I have a rule that anything I watch, I have to give it at least 3 episodes before deciding whether I like it or not. If I am hooked at this point then I will carry on and if not, then I move on!
My favourite activity is horse-riding but I don’t get a chance to do it that often anymore. I am waiting to see if my little girl is interested and then it may be an activity we can do together! I also love spas and any form of pampering and would always choose a relaxing day in the spa as a way to chill out and zone out.
The great outdoors! There are so many beautiful places in Yorkshire and I love that we have the most amazing cities and the most amazing countryside within miles of each other. There really is something for everyone and I think it’s a great place for children to grow up.
Mum to mum advice - Listen to all the advice that is given to you (there will be a lot) and then decide what is best for you and your baby. Ultimately your decision is the one that is important and call it mums’ intuition, but you know what is right for your baby. As a new mum and having never done it before, you can sometimes get lost in what everyone is advising you to do. You need to be happy with the decisions you make and know that they fit with the parent you want to be.
Fitness Instructor to mum advice – take time for yourself and prioritise your needs as well as your little ones. Join a class that offers something for you, exercise is just one of those to consider. Mental and physical health are really important and part of looking after your little one is looking after yourself too.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Rachel and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: http://www.mamaunleashed.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamaunleashed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mama_unleashed/
Rachel’s giving out a set of weekly classes to each winner. Winner will be able to participate in 5 x 30-45 minute-long classes that are delivered within a week by Rachel online live or to catch up with the videos afterward. Classes include: 2x Aerobics, HIIT, Stretch & Tone, Hardcore Abs.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
]]>
In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Elizabeth Backhouse and her Sling Library, a joint baby sling business with her business partner Rachel, which aims to help moms achieve safe and optimal use and fit of baby slings.
Slinglibrary.com is based in West Yorkshire, mostly fairly local to Huddersfield. However, we are currently- like many people- running sessions online.
As many, if not all, new parents know it can be impossible to put down a newborn baby. This is completely, biologically normal. But we understand that it can make things tricky for new parents to eat their tea, drink a hot cuppa or get out and about. This is where we come in. We offer a sling hire service. We run a Bump to Baby workshop looking at safe sling use, optimal position, along with the range of slings available and help parents get fitted into the sling that is most suitable for them and their baby. We then hire out the slings at an affordable rate. Alongside this, we provide parent-to-parent support and reassurance.
For me what I love about the service I provide, is the smile on the mum, when they realise they can meet baby’s need to be held, are comfortable in the sling and still get that hot cup of tea or eat their breakfast.
As a first-time parent, I used slings and found them invaluable. They are my parenting must have. However, also as a first-time parent, I bought a very expensive sling that became uncomfortable very quickly. Not because it was a bad sling but because it was not a good fit. I helped out at the Huddersfield Branch of Slinglibrary.com as a volunteer for about 6 months and saw the fantastic service they provided. I realised that I could do that to. I could help even more parents find a comfortable way to hold baby close but still manage to get that hot drink, get out for a walk across a muddy field or fold the laundry. I could support new parents, who needed a friendly face to chat to.
Throughout Lockdown slinglibrary.com's Yolanda has been offering weekly online Bump to Baby workshops and 1:1 consultation.
As restrictions ease, myself and Rachel, a fellow Sling Librarian, are working towards reopening with Sling Library Nature Walks for Wellbeing. We are taking our sling libraries outside to provide an opportunity to improve physical and mental health alongside a dose of nature, mindfulness and hygge. Included in the walks is sling safety, advice and fitting, a chance to try or hire a sling, an opportunity to meet other parents and get professional and peer support. We are also having a weekly nature or topical play prompt as part of the sessions.
For whatever stage of parenthood you are at, I would recommend our sling walks. Newborn babies and older children are all welcome to come along, whilst you are still pregnant to get to know us and the sling options available and then pop back to hire, when baby is here.
(We do ask that parents with babies under 5 months attend one of our online Bump to Baby Workshops, before they first attend a Sling Walk.)
Many people inspire me. I am regularly inspired by women who juggle their businesses and their children.
Line of Duty
I love long walks in the countryside or relaxing in a bath.
I moved to Yorkshire 10 years ago for a year, but I’ve never left! I love the fact that we have both towns and lovely countryside nearby and I have met so many fantastic people.
Ask for and accept help. Parenting can be tough. It can be amazing, but it can be tough. It’s ok to need support.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Elizabeth and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: https://slinglibrary.com
Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/theslinglibrary
Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/slinglibrary/
Email: elizabeth@slinglibrary.com
Elizabeth’s giving out two Free 0.5-hour online consultation sessions. In this session, we can cover the different types of sling or the different options available in a particular category of slings.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
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In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Nancy and her Pima Baby business which aims to create baby clothes made in Peru out of the finest Pima cotton.
Check out our Facebook Live interview with Nancy on 13th August 2020! She will tell you more about her business and expertise and a bit about herself!
Pima Baby is an online shop but I live in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. I also hope to be able to join some fairs around the country when it is safe to do so.
We at Pima Baby sells baby clothes but they are made in Peru out of the finest Pima cotton. Pima cotton is a rare type of cotton that only makes up 10 percent of the world’s cotton production. It has unique qualities that make it extra special when compared with traditional cotton. Pima cotton has longer fibers and these make the clothes much softer than regular cotton making it great for a baby’s sensitive skin. The best pima cotton is grown in northern Peru and being Peruvian myself, I deal directly with contacts in the country to ensure that my clothes are of the best quality.
I would say our baby sets, not because they are my favourite ones but because they come presented in beautiful boxes and finished with a decorative ribbon making them an ideal gift by adding that special touch. A mum can buy these for herself and her baby or anyone can buy our sets for a mum-to-be to show their love.
Pima cotton is grown in the northern part of Peru and all Peruvians are aware of just how special clothing can be when it is made from this unique cotton. I moved to the UK almost 10 years ago and at that time, I realised that it was hard to find a shop in the UK that sold baby clothes made from this special cotton. I know that clothes made from Pima cotton are really soft and great for a baby (and even adults) so I decided to introduce the benefits of Pima cotton to mothers here in the UK.
Pima Baby is a reasonably new business and our initial idea was to join various baby fairs around the country promoting and selling our baby clothes but since Covid-19 arrived we had to change plans to concentrate on the online side of the business. This brought some challenges as we had to learn a lot about online marketing which was fairly new to us and we are still learning. It can be overwhelming but we must evolve to adapt to the current conditions.
Another thing I have realised here in the UK is that it is not very common to find baby bottoms with built-in socks. In shops, you will normally find full bodysuits with built-in socks but they are not always practical. All Pima Baby bottoms come with built-in socks and many mums who have bought our products have mentioned how practical these are. They make the nappy changing process faster and less uncomfortable for their babies while also ensuring they don’t keep losing socks.
My mum, she was very passionate about whatever she did, and even when something did not go to plan, she would keep trying and adapting. She would never give up.
One of my favourite shows in the UK is Only Fools and Horses. I had never heard of it before I came here but since I have started watching it, I absolutely love it and could easily watch lots of episodes back to back. Another show that I enjoyed was a BBC show called Merlin, I love history and all that old Kings and Queens stuff so I guess that’s why I loved it so much. I watched it all in the space of a week!
Being from Latin America, I really love to dance Salsa. I have attended various Salsa events but my favourite so far was late last year when my friends and I attended a salsa event in the world-famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom. It was a fantastic experience. I also enjoy doing Zumba and go jogging on a regular basis.
I really love the scenery and all the history around Yorkshire and the UK in general. I am a member of both the English Heritage and National Trust and before the pandemic I tried to visit all the sites around Yorkshire. I also travelled to Scotland and Wales hunting for castles so as you can tell I absolutely love castles, abbeys and old manor houses.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Nancy and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: www.pimababy.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pimababyclothes/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PimaBabyClothes/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/PimaBabyClothes/
Nancy’s giving out 2x printable 40 baby milestones cards & 20% discount code to the winners!
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
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Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Anna and her pilates business Base Pilates & Physiotherapy which aims to help moms reconnect with themselves and adjust to life as a Mum.
York
I’m a physiotherapist & Pilates instructor.
I love working one to one with Mums to help them reconnect with themselves and adjust to life as a Mum.
I worked in the NHS previously, but I found that I didn’t really have the time or scope to help people in the way that I wanted to. Now I’m able to blend my Physio and Pilates skills and provide a more person centred approach. Since having my own daughter, I developed a greater interest in maternal and women’s health generally, and my practice has evolved organically to reflect this.
I now provide online consultations, which is different to what I’m used to. But it is proving to be so convenient for busy Mums, or older adults who don’t want the travel and parking hassle but need advice, reassurance and a start with their rehab.
I think every woman should have the opportunity and space to discuss her own health and wellbeing post-natally and be supported to rehab slowly and safely. I recommend a one hour consultation to discuss any concerns that a woman may have about her postnatal recovery and receive advice about resuming activity.
My friendships with other women - my close friends and my family members. There is something really unique and powerful that happens when women support each other and ‘get’ each other.
I think there’s some brilliant Female-centric shows and production companies out there at the moment. I loved Fleabag and The Motherhood for comedy, but my most recent binge was Little Fires Everywhere on Prime.
My Ultimate me time is a tent near a wild swimming spot with a good pub and plenty of books and crisps! And no other people!! Failing that, a walk and spending time in nature closer to home always clears my head and soothes my soul.
The Natural Wonders (I know this covers more than one thing, but it’s impossible otherwise!)
Protect your fourth trimester space - you don’t need to do all the things and see all the people until you are ready.
You are still post-natal, even several years down the line, so if you are still struggling mentally or physically - get help!
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Anna and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: www.basepilates.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/basepilatesyork/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BasePilatesYork/
Email address: anna@basepilates.co.uk
Anna’s giving out two Gift Vouchers of £20 - redeemable on Online physiotherapy consultation. Expires End September 2020.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
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In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Jaydene and her cafe business Plush Cafe in the centre of the lovely Yorkshire city of York.
In the city centre of York on Stonegate, right by the Minster.
Plush Café is an independent business owned by 2 sisters and our brother. We have three themed dining rooms – the Garden Room with its swing seats and floor to ceiling flowers, the Art-Deco-inspired Neon Room, and the luxurious, floor cushion-filled Bohemian Room. We serve over the top cakes, Afternoon Tea and a delicious, Instagram-worthy food menu, which includes vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, all served with our signature edible flowers. We also have a boutique store, which has cute, quirky and unusual finds galore – ranging from children’s tea sets covered in sloths to flamingo salt and pepper sets!
(Added by Ivy) Plush Cafe also has a lovely online shop that sells kitchen china, tea pots, and other quirky little things.
In the café my go-to drinks are Dirty Chai Lattes and Toffee Popcorn Hot Chocolates! Usually paired with either our breakfast or dessert pancakes! Shop-wise we sell this gorgeous little llama night light that I absolutely adore. I have one at home for my baby.
We have removed seats and tables from two of our dining rooms to ensure social distancing can be maintained, and in the Garden Room (where the swing and bench seating is fixed) we have installed screens between each of the tables. We’ve also installed screens in the shop area at the till and across all the counters.
Our staff have been fully COVID-19 trained, and wear face masks and face shields. We have hand sanitiser available for our guests, and clean surfaces even more frequently than we did prior to the pandemic. We also have QR codes that allows guests to view our menu on their phones rather than handling menus.
I am a toxicologist with a PhD in chemistry, my brother is an Officer in the Merchant Navy and our younger sister is a flavour chemist, so a café and shop is a bit outside of our usual remit! We had discussed starting a business together for years, and when I fell pregnant I decided I wanted a job that gave me more time and flexibility to be with my baby. The three of us loved the idea of starting a café and wanted to create something really fun and unique. The idea snowballed from there and here we are!
As a new mom myself, I’ve worked to ensure that the café is as child and baby-friendly as possible. We are also breastfeeding friendly. My recommendation for any mom would be to come in and enjoy the smiles on your children’s faces as they tuck into Teddy Toast on a swing next to a life sized flamingo! For a mom-to-be, I’d recommend coming in with friends for a lovely hot drink before the sleepless nights start (we have a fantastic range of caffeine-free drinks, including our rainbow coloured superfood lattes)!
My mother! She is the strongest woman I have ever met. She raised 3 children (including homeschooling them!) whilst travelling with them across Africa, the Middle East, Scandinavia and Europe. She’s faced some of the most incredibly challenging times head on and despite this is still so full of love, humour and compassion (not just for us – she’s an NHS nurse too!).
Killing Eve! (I mostly binge on Hey Duggee at the moment!)
A good coffee in a beautiful spot.
I’ve lived all over the world and York is undoubtedly one of my favourite places to be! Its so hard to choose just one thing – probably the old, quirky, wonky buildings in York!
Do whatever you feel comfortable with – don’t worry about what the books, the apps, the in-laws or anyone else has to say about it. As long as you’re being safe and you and the baba are happy, you do you!
My 10 month old has just started walking – I need this advice please!
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Jaydene and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: www.plushcafe.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlushYork
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plush_cafe/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/plush_cafe
Email: info@plushcafe.co.uk
Jaydene is giving out two x £15 gift cards which can be used in the cafe or the shop (either in-store or online).
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Andrea and her business Healthy Women Healthy Lives which is aimed to help and support women with hormone imbalances during perimenopause, menopause and fertility issues.
I live in Dewsbury
I help and support women with hormone imbalances during perimenopause, menopause and fertility issues. I have been through perimenopause myself and can relate to all the symptoms. During my perimenopause journey, I lost everything overnight, my home, husband and business and a few years later, I nearly lost my life in a car accident. I have spent the last 10+ years rebuilding my life, my mindset, my diet to heal my body. A hormone imbalance can be related to diet, mindset, lifestyle or exercise. I work with all these 4 areas as I find that there is more than just your diet that can be affecting a woman’s hormone health.
My 30 day class is very popular as I will be there to support women during the 30 days and draw up a plan specific to their needs to get the results they would like to have.
I am lucky as I haven’t had to adapt my business during covid. I have always conducted my teachings and training or coaching online using Skype or Whatsapp or Zoom.
I have always been interested in health and wellbeing and how your body works. It was only until I went through perimenopause myself that I decided this was where I wanted to put most of my focus and what I was most passionate about.
I would recommend women in pregnancy and after the birth of baby to have a 1to1 for 30 days with me to create a plan around diet and lifestyle for a healthy pregnancy and recovery after pregnancy.
I am passionate about women’s health and I am inspired by listening to how other women have dealt with betrayal, hardship, finding their true self again etc. It is never too late to change your life and live life to the full and be happy or strive to be the best version of yourself and to go after your dream life.
I don’t have a TV show that I like at the moment. I could watch films such as Pretty Woman, Notebook, The Proposal, Sleepless in Seattle over and over.
I love to do yoga, meditate and journal
I love walking and there are lots of good walks to do around Yorkshire.
Don’t rush into getting back into fitness and losing the baby weight. Enjoy your baby and rest when needed. Take some supplements to nourish thyroid and adrenal glands.
Make some time every day just for yourself to help reduce stress levels and to eat to promote good health and energy levels.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Andrea and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: http://www.healthylifestyleover40.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/womenwantinghealthylives/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthywomenhealthylives/
Andrea is giving out two e-books to the winners - a choice from ‘9 ways to manage weight with no calorie counting’ or ‘tips for healthy digestion’, plus a free 15 min follow up consultation for you to ask any questions you may have.
One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Jacqueline Clitheroe and her business Babies by Jackie which is aimed to create beautiful babies portraits for the UK families to capture this special moment in time for parents and creating beautiful images to treasure forever.
My studio is in Market Weighton, North Yorkshire – a lovely little market town approx. 20 mins from York and 15 mins from Beverley.
I am a baby photographer. I specialised in baby photography around five years ago, and was the first photographer in England to achieve ‘Qualified Newborn Photographer’ status with the APNPI (Accredited Professional Newborn Photographers International).
I love being able to capture this special moment in time for parents and creating beautiful images to treasure forever.
This is such a difficult one – I have spent years creating my product portfolio and only including things that I truly love: bamboo wall panels, treasure boxes and albums.
If I had to choose, I would probably say my favourite is my Fine Art Album. These albums are custom designed with a contemporary leather cover sourced from manufacturers committed to sustainability and the ethical treatment of animals, and printed on wood-based paper made from sustainable sources. They are both stunning to look at and eco-friendly – and they are also hand-made here in Yorkshire! What better way to protect these precious images?
My photography journey really began when I became a mum myself (previously I had enjoyed wildlife photography as a hobby and worked as a project manager for a well-known communications company). Having my own baby opened my eyes to just how quickly children change and grow up and I wanted to document every precious moment.
With that came the fear of returning to work and missing out on these precious times. I got super lucky – my firm offered redundancy and the timing was perfect. I made the decision to take the money and set up my own photography business, allowing me to work around my daughter and hubby’s work. What a dream come true!
Over the years, I have been privileged to be able to document lots of families as they travel on their own life adventures from weddings to pregnancy to babies to growing families, and am proud to now count many of them among my friends!
I chose to specialise in baby and maternity photography as I feel this is the area that I can most make a difference.
I absolutely love my job and I couldn’t bear the thought of new parents missing out on their newborn photos, I created my Collab Baby Photography Service, where parents can follow my video tutorials to take photos of their baby and then send them to me to digitally composite into a stunning work of art. It’s proven to be quite popular and of course as it is a completely remote service, I have had interest from people all around the world!
I am hoping to re-open the studio soon, but only when I feel completely confident that it is safe to do so, and there will be some changes to ensure safety, including social distancing and mask wearing, limited sessions and attendees, etc. I am so excited to be able to cuddle those little tiny babies again, but will continue to offer the Collab Baby Photography Service as an alternative to those parents who are still uncomfortable with going out and about in the early weeks.
Obviously, a photo session with Babies By Jackie, whether it be a maternity, newborn, milestone or family session!
Professionally, there is a photographer in Australia called Kelly Brown who has been the biggest inspiration in my baby photography business. Her style aligns so well with mine and I got a chance to meet her in person last year – yes I did totally fan-girl out!
Personally, I draw inspiration from so many different sources: my family, TV, nature, weather. Creativity can be sparked from anything!
With the lockdown, I have binge-watched so many TV shows and series. My current favourites are ‘Married at First Sight’, ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ and ‘The Good Place’ – though I have just about finished these, so am looking for the next big series.
Pilates. I started Pilates classes a few years ago and it’s the only ‘fitness activity’ I have ever stuck to. Not only does it help with core strength and flexibility, but it is also a chance to ‘meditate’ and clear my head. I have been lucky enough that my Pilates teacher has been able to continue to run classes using Zoom throughout lockdown and it has totally helped to keep me sane.
The sky! Particularly in the area where I live it is quite flat or there are low rolling hills so you can see so much sky.
It sounds cliché but ‘This too shall pass’ is such an appropriate motto for this time in your life. Becoming a new parent is an absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions; some days you are on top of the world and others are the hardest times of your life where you feel like a total failure. I always say to new parents, ‘this too shall pass’ so make the most of the highs and don’t stress about the lows.
And if it ever feels like it is getting on top of you, please ask for help.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Jackie and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: https://www.byjackie.co.uk
Email: jackie@byjackie.co.uk
Facebook: @byjackieuk https://www.facebook.com/byjackieuk/
Instagram: @babies_by_jackie https://instagram.com/babies_by_jackie
Jackie is giving out two x free digital images using our Collab Baby Photography Service (value £60) to be used by 31st December 2020. If you don't have a newborn, this can be exchanged for a professional edit of a family photo instead. One gift for Facebook and one for Instagram entries.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Clarey Matthews and her business Long Dog Craft, which is aimed to create gorgeous handmade jewellery for the UK moms and women (and of the globe!).
My shop is online so I'm physically based in our spare room! At home in Queensbury, between Bradford and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Long Dog Craft (LDC) is the brainchild of contemporary jewellery designer Clarey M, who in January 2020 decided to quit the corporate rat race and turn her back on the drudgery of the nine-to-five routine.
Long Dog Craft (LDC) takes the best of the past and brings it to life in the present by creating playful, original, and contemporary jewellery and gift designs that have an eco-centric heart and an accessible price point.
With craftsmanship, attention to detail, strong personality, and a decisive nod to sustainability, LDC reinvents and re-imagines many of the materials it uses, such as upholstery suede and vintage beads, to give them a second chance at taking centre stage and looking spectacular.
My favourite style of earrings are these statement U shaped beauties in rose gold and leopard faux leather - and that's me wearing my pair!
Well, it's been tricky because people aren't venturing out a lot, and when they do it's often wearing a face covering and they don't mix well with long dangly earrings! So, in order to adapt, not only have I launched personalised kits for keeping safe outside, but I've also expanded the range of stud earrings to 12 styles in a variety of materials and colours.
Jewellery making is something I love, it’s creative and rewarding. I've made pieces for over 15 years do it took me until this year to make my passion into a business. I had been in fashion marketing for several years and one morning in January I woke up and thought "it's now or never". I really wanted to have a better work-life balance and to work for myself.
My Etsy shop longdogcraft.com began in April 2020 and since then I've had over 100 sales and I have even shipped to USA. Austria and Singapore.
I think get some brightly coloured studs to give your outfit a pop and stop tiny fingers from pulling longer earrings! Ouch! Remember to treat yourself often, as well as the children, self-care is very important.
My business is named after my 2 rescue mini dachshunds, Pickle and Bandit, they inspire me every day.
I love a crime show, true crime or fiction.... Poirot binge anybody??? Just me then!
It has to be a bubble bath and then doing my nails, that's my perfect me-time
Yorkshire is the best place in the universe... how can I choose one thing?... Oh! The fish and chips here are better than anywhere else in the world! Crispy batter, no skin (yuck) and mushy peas!
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Clarey and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: http://longdogcraft.com
Email: longdogcraft@outlook.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/longdogcraft
Instagram: www.instagram.com/longdogcraft
Clarey is giving out two free pairs of ear studs - a choice of design from the wild stud range. One gift for Facebook and one for Instagram entries.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Danielle Louise Smith and her business Danique Keepsakes, which is aimed to help transform loved one’s clothing into sentimental keepsakes.
My business is based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, ran from my small family home.
I transform loved one’s clothing into sentimental keepsakes. This can include outgrown baby clothing or lost love one’s belongings, carefully handmade into a memory bear, memorial cushion or keepsake blanket.
My business is a little different from others as I give 100% of my time and care for each customer, keeping them updated along the way and ensuring I get all the details right.
My favourite product is the memory bear, simply because it was the first memory keepsake I ever created, and I made it from my first-born sons outgrown clothing.
I have always loved sewing and it wasn’t an idea to go into business, essentially business chose me. People loved seeing my handmade creations and wanted to buy, so eventually, after a lot of research, learning and development my business was established.
During the Covid-19 pandemic the only adaptation to my business is reducing post runs to once per week to reduce going to public places and choosing the first-class postal service with the aim of getting orders with customers quicker. Considering all these changes I have also extended my turnaround.
The one product I would recommend for a parent and baby is the memory bear. Off all my creations, it is a classic, a great way to keep some of those outgrown outfits and is affordable too.
I find myself inspired by other women in business and I am influenced by women who have really found their niche within social media, around work life and their families, such as Mrs.Hinch and Stacey Solomon. I am a little bit obsessed with watching them on Instagram stories.
You are more likely to find me stalking them than watching any Netflix series. If I had to choose something to binge watch all day long, it would be classic British comedy such as Only Fools and horses or sitcoms like Friends.
My favourite self-care activity that I am determined to make routine is a clay face mask on in a hot bubble bath with a bath bomb and just escape the madness of work and family life.
The one thing I love about living in Yorkshire is the community and spirit. At times, when needed it’s right there and it’s just amazing to witness and be part of.
My best advice to an expecting or first time Mum would be that Mum knows best. The instinct of a Mother trumps everything and other opinions and advice can sometimes be useful but also unnecessary. Stick with your gut and parent your way.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Danielle and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: www.daniquekeepsakes.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/daniquekeepsakes
Instagram: www.instagram.com/daniquekeepsakes
Email: daniquekeepsakes@yahoo.com
Danielle is giving out two x free personalised memory bears.
One gift for Facebook and one for Instagram entries.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Angela Milburn and her business which is aimed to help women and moms become the best version of themselves with Hypnotherapy and Reflexology.
We have recently had Angela on our Facebook Live Showcase session and she has shared a lot about her businesses, her specialities and a bit about herself! It was such a lovely chat and I have learnt a lot about hypnotherapy and reflexology! Come and have a watch!
In Angela’s words:
“I work, in person or remotely, to help you to become the best version of yourself. To become comfortable with who you are. Comfortable physically, by reducing and removing chronic pain from physical or emotional sources. Comfortable emotionally, by getting rid of your insecurity and lack of self belief, building confidence and resilience and boosting self esteem.
I am a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Master Practitioner in OldPain2Go as well as a Reflexologist. I have many more tools and techniques, some of which I will share with you to use yourself to achieve the best possible outcomes, but I always work with the individual in front of me.
I have worked with trauma and PTSD. Removed phobias. Helped move folk from feeling suicidal to hopeful and happy. Helped others start new businesses or rediscover enjoyment and confidence where they were. If you are ready for change, please get in touch.”
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Angela and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: https://angela-milburn-wellness-therapist.business.site/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/AngelaMilburn.Wellness/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angela.milburn_wellness/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AnGiEi3
Email: angelamilburn@msn.com
Angela is giving out two x online hypnotic relaxation sessions of 45 minutes including a hypnotic facial. Deeply relaxing and calming. To be redeemed by 30th September.
One gift for Facebook and one for Instagram entries.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.
In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog.
Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)
Today we are featuring Helen Cozens and her business which is aimed to help UK families to save hundreds of pounds on their utility bills.
I live in York within walking distance of the city centre.
My business with Utility Warehouse is a discount club that guarantees to save you money on your everyday bills.
It’s free to join and offers benefits including one single bill for all your services which makes budgeting easier, award winning broadband, green energy, free LED lightbulbs and a Cashback card that saves you money every time you shop.
My favourite benefit is the houseful of free lightbulbs - most people can’t believe that they get this much for free, and the bulbs are even fitted for you, and replaced for free when needed.
The business has adapted to our current social restrictions by moving from using face to face ‘over a coffee’ appointments to online ‘from my sofa to yours’. This is super convenient, saves everyone’s time and keeps us all safe.
I chose to join this business as when I became a customer it saved us a decent amount every month. What I love about it is that I’m not selling anything to anyone that they’re not already buying - I’m just offering a better value alternative and right now that can help a lot of people.
The way it can help mums with young families is that it just makes life easier (and cheaper) as everything is sorted for you, and you’ll no longer need to find time to look around for cheap deals because you’re already getting the best option there is.
Because we work through individuals like me I’m always your first point of contact for any queries.
My family. As well as my husband and daughters I have 3 sisters who give me so much inspiration and support. We only manage to get together once or twice a year but have the best time when we do and, although we are all very different, I know that they are there for me.
Friends! I used to video every weekly episode and watch it on a Friday night. Now my youngest daughter has watched every episode on Netflix and can’t imagine having to wait a week for the next episode rather than just following on automatically!
Me time and self care is running. It just makes me feel so good. I will often go with a friend before work and, although we don’t want to get out of bed early we know that we will feel so much better for the rest of the day if we do.
What do I love about living in Yorkshire? I was born & brought up in the dales, spent 13 years in London, then came ‘home’ to Yorkshire. The people are the best thing about being here. And the fact that I’m living in such a historical unique town.
My advice to a new born’s mum? There are a lot more worse things than being tired. You can always get through the day on coffee and cake!
To a toddler mum? They’ll be teenagers before you know it - enjoy the little things.
Final Words
So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Helen and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:
Contact details:
Website: https://uw.partners/helen.cozens
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneysavingangels/
Email: helencozens@yahoo.co.uk
Phone number: 07403 140704
Her gifts will be a free online ‘bills check’ to see how much you can save each month, to be arranged at a suitable time.
If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.
Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements.
By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts.