Letters from Santa - now on sale!

Last night I added the latest new listing on PhotoFairytales: Personalised Letters from Santa!

These sold very quickly last year, and I'm hoping the same will happen again - especially as I'm going to be making a donation to Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK for every letter sold.

The letters are packed with loads of detail about your child, making it a really magical little treat in the run up to Christmas. Your child will know for sure that Father Christmas is real: how else would he know so much about them?! The letters are printed on parchment style paper and are handsigned by Santa himself - and there's more...!

Not only will they receive a wonderful letter, but also enclosed in the big jolly red envelope will be a personalised quality card certificate to reward them for their "nice" behaviour. Plus there are four lovely little craft gifts that will keep them busy during the exciting lead up to Christmas. And its all finished off with a touch of genuine North Pole sequins plus a North Pole label on the envelope!

The letters only cost £5.50 which includes UK delivery - and for every letter sold I will donate 27p to Make-A-Wish on your behalf. You can find full details, or place an order, by clicking here. Be quick if you want to place an order as the letter are only being sold in limited numbers and they all sold out last year!

Best wishes, Sarah

NEW TODAY: spoof blue heritage plaques

I've just added yet another new range to PhotoFairytales - one that is sure to be a hit for Christmas!

These spoof blue heritage plaques are designed to look just like the iconic blue plaques placed on the houses of the famous and historical. Now you can get your own version, with these quality acrylic plaques created with your own wording.

Make your neighbours curious, and give a loved one the recognition and honour their achievments (and reputation) deserve!

Only £16, which includes free UK delivery.

You must know someone who'd like one of these for Christmas!

Sarah x

Follow these Facebook pages for great offers!!!

I've got some sneaky insider information for you on some forthcoming discounts for five online retailers...shh, don't tell anyone...well, actually no: do tell everyone you know because I'm sure they'll appreciate being told too!!

The following five websites all have pages on Facebook, and next week (from October 25th) they are going to be announcing some fabulous exclusive discount codes and freebies to their fans. If you don't follow them already, do get following them now and suggest the pages to your Facebook friends too so that they can find out about these amazing offers.

Remember, if you're not following you won't find out about these offers:

Best Baby Shower
Got a baby shower to host or a baby gift to buy? Join us on Facebook where we will be making an exclusive £5 discount offer to all UK fans on 25th October.

Menus 4 Mums
To show our appreciation to our Facebook fans we'd like to offer you 4 free easy recipe cards for cakes children love. Look for the update we'll be sending to our fans with details of how to claim your cards.

Lila's Party
Whether you are organising a childs party next week or next year, win ALL your party essentials in our competition - exclusive only to our UK Facebook fans. Join our page now to be included in the prize draw starting 25th October.

Ebabee
We're going to be announcing details about a special sale with a chance to buy some uber-cool baby and toddler stuff - and even postage will be free!

Ohana Moments
An exclusive offer will be announced to all our Facebook fans next week: 15% off and free delivery! Join our Facebook page now to find out further details next week...

PhotoFairytales
Get following PhotoFairytales on Facebook now because next week all fans will be offered a fabulous Buy One Get One Free discount code. Plus, once the page reaches 500 fans there will a prize giveaway worth £15, plus runner up prizes!

So just click on the links to these pages and make sure you're following them all!

Sarah x

This is for all you business owners out there!

I just wanted to share this great article - if you run your own online business its well worth a read: 101 Ways to Make More Sales Online, by Sonia Simone

Like many of you I'm sure, I've seen these kind of lists before and frankly they all tend to state the bleeding obvious. But this is a list of 101 practical ideas and thoughts that I hope you will find useful for your own website.

The idea behind the list is how to convert site visitors into buyers - that old conundrum! I hope you get something from it - make a cuppa, grab a biscuit, and have a read...

(Do please leave a comment and let me know what you think.)

Best wishes

Sarah x

Halloween - I need some help!

On the 31st October 2009 I made a very rash promise: to throw a Halloween Party for Amy. It was designed to be a bit of a pay-off. You see, she wanted to go Trick or Treating and I (being a tad over protective maybe?) didn't want her to. I felt like a total party pooper, so found myself suggesting that next year we would have a party instead....

So, in just over a month I guess we'll be having a party then....now, how on earth do I entertain a group of 6/7/8 year olds with the right level of scariness? What games could they play I wonder? (I've thought of apple bobbing, but got a bit stuck after that!). Are they old enough for a torchlit scary story session or will they just end up too scared to sleep that night?!

I've got some great ideas for designing a Halloween Party invitation, I know I can do some fun food and decorations but it seems getting the pitch right for the entertainment part is going to be trickier than I thought! Any ideas would be gratefully appreciated, so do please leave a comment for me...

Sarah x

I'm running a business, not a hobby!

About 8 weeks ago I had a brief online chat with the lovely Nicole from Kenzo Crafts. Basically, we were both bemoaning the fact that when you work from home or run your own business, somehow it never gets taken all that seriously.... People (quite nice, intelligent people usually!), make comments about your work as your "little thing", or refer to it as "your hobby".

We were holding this conversation on Facebook, and so (never one not to seize a moment!), within 5 minutes I'd created a new page: "I'm running a business, not a hobby!". No, I know it's not catchy - but at least it gets to the point!

Just 8 weeks later and there are now over 200 fans of this page - all of them equally frustrated that so many people simply think they are working purely to fill in their spare time. And some of these are mothers to young children, run households, AND run their own business! The page is just growing organically with new people joining every week - and the message from everyone is the same. Just take a look at some of the comments on there!

So why is it that people who run small businesses and/or work from home don't get taken seriously? It is quite odd, especially when you consider most of us work much longer than the average full-time 40 hour working week. And that many of those hours are either at the crack of dawn, or late at night when other workers are either tucked up asleep or watching telly.

A huge number of women decide to run their own business as a route back to work after babies. I know that's one of the reasons why I set up PhotoFairytales. It means we can juggle work and homelife in a way that probably wouldn't happen if we were employees. Society is always discussing how to best allow parents the flexibility to hold down a career and look after children - and in the meantime while these discussions are taking place, many women are just getting on with it: setting up their business, making it a success, looking after their home and family. But just because those hours of work are from home and are split up over the day, it seems there is a blur between "working from home" and just "being at home all day".

So, lets get one thing straight: people who work from home and run their own business often work longer and harder hours than the standard employee. We are totally committed to the business we run - not only do we want it to be a commercial success, we want it to be a personal success too. We are creative people who take on many, many roles: book keeper, marketing manager, website developer, customer service officer, administrator, technical support, purchaser, business developer, office cleaner, tea trolley operator... I could go on!

If you're one of those who works from home too and gets frustrated from time to time, head on over to the "Business, Not Hobby" page on Facebook and have your say. You'll feel so much better afterwards and you'll be in good company!

Now, get back to work slacker!

Sarah x

NEW RANGE: "Personality" Canvas Prints!

I just wanted to show you the new range of box canvas prints I've introduced to the website this week...

Featuring your photo and choice of up to around 14 key words and dates, these are a truly personal gift or keepsake for your loved one. They are available in a choice of sizes: 8"x8" slimline canvas, and 10"x10" deeper canvas. Prices start at just £18 and that includes free UK delivery.

The prints come complete with a wire hanger on the back, and delivery is approximately 6 working days.

Hope you like them!
Sarah x

Free ride on an Elephant!

Just a quickie - I'm offering a freebie on Twitter tomorrow, so if you don't follow me already you can find me here: www.twitter.com/photofairytales

I'm not giving anymore details just yet, but all I'll say is there is an elephant involved so if you know any animal lovers make sure you're on Twitter tomorrow!

Sarah x

Is PhotoFairytales "Website of the Year"..?

What do you think of the PhotoFairytales website? If you think it's good enough to win the "Website of the Year" award, I'd love it if you could please spare just one or two minutes (honestly, no more!) to tell the judges why you like it...

The Good Web Guide started the award last year, aiming it specifically at small businesses. It provides businesses like PhotoFairytales an excellent way to gain recognition (and there are some great prizes on offer too!). My site has been entered into the competition, and if you can take a moment of your day to enter your support to my website I would be so grateful. Simply follow this link for details.

Sites are judged and assessed in areas such as design, originality, content, and ease of use. I'm keeping my fingers crossed (and my legs, eyes and toes for good measure!).

Thanks for your support, Sarah x

Loads of discounts on Baby items!

I'm a member of a great networking site for women who run their own businesses (www.mumsclub.co.uk). Since joining, I've made some great contacts and got to know loads of lovely ladies who, like me, run their own business: some online, some on the high street. The members represent a huge range: from the one-woman business, to the multi-staffed long established company.

Earlier this year myself and a small group of other members got together and produced a little leaflet offering discounts and special offer codes. It was such a success, that we decided to do it again - but this time even bigger! We have produced a glossy brochure which is going to be distributed up and down the country this Autumn at major Mother, Baby & Toddler events.

The brochure is packed with a big range of discounts on items that every new mum or mum-to-be could possibly want: from pushchairs to nappies, from gifts to nursery furniture, from christening gowns and keepsakes to maternity bras!

Even if you're not going to be attending any of the Baby Events later this year, you can still get a look at the brochure (and of course use the discounts too!). Just click on the image above or here for more details. And if you know anyone with a new baby (or one on the way), do let them know about this great book of money off deals.

Best wishes, Sarah

Should adults act more like children..?

I just wanted to share this little moment I had at the start of my day today:

I had just dropped Amy off at school, and Freddy Dog and I were walking home. A little girl and her mummy were walking towards us on the opposite side of the road when the little girl suddenly called out "hello" and waved to us. I called out "hello" back and she said "I've got on a dress!".

"Yes", I said "and you look beautiful."

"So do you!" was the reply - wasn't that lovely? Never seen her before in my life, but we both swapped spontaneous compliments that made us both grin at one another. What a shame as adults we don't just approach strangers and tell them we like their hat, or ask them to admire our new shoes! Imagine that world!!

Of course, on the other side, it could also be a world where we occasionally point blank tell friends that are getting on our nerves that we don't want to talk to them today - or we point at someone fat and say loudly "look, they're fat!" - or we go round to a friends' house and proclaim that it "smells funny" and then ask for a biscuit...

So perhaps its just as well we grow out of it after all.

Sarah x

Holidays are coming, holidays are coming..!

I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be taking a break at the end of August. I feel a combination of joy at typing those words - and worry that I'll get withdrawal symptoms! Oh dear, does that make me a workaholic I wonder?!

No, I think it's just that I love what I do. I read once that if you can find a job you love you need never work again. And it's true - I don't think I have ever started a working day not wanting to. True, sometimes it can be hard to juggle life as a mum with home life and work life, but that's all about the number of hours in a day not about work frustration!

Anyway, I'm going to take a couple of weeks off, and I'm going to try very hard not to think about work - although I'll probably come back fired up with new ideas for new products and thinking about what will be coming up for Christmas (not that long now!!).

I can take orders up until August 12th and will be back to normal on August 31st. You are welcome to submit orders during this time, but please be aware that you won’t get acknowledgement of them (and work won’t begin on them) until my return. Please note that there will also be a longer delivery time during that first week while I get on top of the backlog. I will be able to give you an idea of time when I return and have an idea of how many orders I need to deal with, but I would estimate that delivery times will probably be extended by at least 3-4 days. Or of course, you could get your orders in quickly now and get them done before I go!!

Now, time to start thinking about where we'll actually be going.....!!!

Sarah x

NEW ON SITE! Personalised Baby Board Books

I've been busy today adding another totally brand new range to PhotoFairytales. I'm so excited about these, I think they are a great idea for new parents, babies, toddlers and littlies...!

I now sell beautiful sturdy little board books for babies. But not any board books - these are totally personalised. They feature your own photos, your own words - you can even give your own title to the book! There are four gorgeous themes to choose from, and I think to be honest you'll find it hard to choose because they are all rather lovely! And get this - they start at only £10 including free UK delivery. How amazing is that! Each book is created individually to order just for you. They carry the CE regulation mark, and you can choose from two sizes. You can even choose to have a buggy strap added to the book so your little one can read in the pushchair.

These are not only a great present for christenings, births and birthdays, but are a perfect keepsake to cherish. I hope you like them - let me know what you think!

Best wishes, Sarah x

Announce the arrival of your baby in style!

I wanted to let you know about the huge new range of birth announcement cards that I've just added to the site. They are all my own designs, and are available in both classic or contemporary styles, and photo or non-photo designs.

The cards are a lovely generous A5 size and are professionally printed on quality card. They are available in three different finishes: as a folded greeting card or flat card style (both with envelopes), or as a flat postcard style. They are totally personalised and individually created just for you - so much nicer than the mass produced paper style invitations you buy in the shops - and no need to sit and write the details on each one either (who has time to do that when there is a new born baby in the house?!). The designs are so lovely you could also keep a spare copy and frame it for the baby's nursery.

All the designs would work beautifully as personalised christening invitations or 1st birthday invitations too. They can easily be adapted to your own specifications - so if you're looking for something tricky like a birth announcement for twins or triplets, for example, these are ideal.

The cards are available in packs of 25 or 50 and prices start from as low as 84p per card, including FREE UK delivery (overseas orders are very welcome too).

EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT: To celebrate the launch of the new range I'd love to offer you a 15% discount on announcement orders until the end of August 2010. Simply quote order code: BL1508. (Sorry, cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount.) To view the designs and for further details just click here: PhotoFairytales Personalised Birth Announcements

I do hope you like them - let me know what you think!

Best wishes, Sarah x

RIGHT! I've got something to say about this Blog!

Dear Reader

Well, I think it's about time a little sense was shown on this so-called "blog" - there's been far too much about dogs and hair, and I'm here to stand up for all the cats in the world to say: "We need more cats on the internet!".

Honestly, you'd think a dog had never had a hair cut before - on and on he goes, "have you noticed my hair?", "does my hair look nice?", "do you think I still look like me?", blah blah blah. Well, I've had it up to here (pointing to collar) - so you've had your hair cut, now get over it!!

Everyone's out to get us cats - even the fish. So you think harping on about dogs is interesting. Well it's not - now, I've made my point, time for a little lay down.... enjoy the video (I didn't).

Love Bella Cat ....zzzzzzz

PS: Yes I am sticking out my tongue, yes it is rude, and no I'm not sorry so there

In which Freddy has a close shave...

Have you ever had a bad hair day? A truly, truly bad hair day? I guess you probably have at some point or another, so to make you feel a little better I thought I'd share the adventure Freddy had this weekend...

He has just celebrated his 1st birthday, and frankly, things had got a bit out of hand in the hair department. If Mr Dyson had invented a hoover with hands, my hoover would have been gripping the doorframe of the cupboard everytime I tried to drag it out and vacuum the carpet - screaming, "Please! No more fur! I just can't take it. It's the fifth time today!!!"

In the first year of his life Freddy has got through 4 brushes, a de-tangling comb, and a de-matting brush for "excessively hairy dogs" (oh, and he's on his fourth lead, but that's got nothing to do with hair - that's all teeth!). So, this Saturday it was decided that the time had come - poodle parlour here we come....

Now Freddy is a cross between a cumberland spaniel and a standard poodle, so we had no idea really how he should be clipped - poodle pompoms or spaniel short back & sides..? To be honest, the tangles were the decisive factor and so the look this season for summer 2010's fashionable pooches is known as "The Squaddie" (with slight mullet overtones if you have the ears to carry it off).

He is now starting to loose his slightly reproachful stare, but he is wondering why the children at the school gate every day keep asking who he is: "I'm Freddy - style icon and lead chewer. Stroke my tummy and I'll tell you the tale of the time I took a trip to the hairdresser. Trust me kids, it will make your hair stand on end..."

Sarah x

An important message for all mums...

This is for all mums: mums-to-be, new mums, experienced mums, old mums, working mums, stay-at-home mums, yummy mums and stressed mums...

• For always being the one who eats the broken biscuits at the bottom of the tin that nobody else will touch;


• For being able to wake up from a deep sleep in the middle of the night to attend to nappies/wet beds/trips to the loo/nightmares/projectile vomiting when everyone else seems unable to;


• For always having food in the cupboard, loo roll in the bathroom, and the knowledge to cook a dinner out of nothing;


• For carrying on when you sometimes REALLY don't want to;


• For teaching your child how to walk, talk, use the potty/toilet, eat with a knife and fork, hold a pen and write, count, learn colours and a million other things;


• For sorting out the bills (because you probably do, don't you?);


• For remembering X's birthday/anniversary, etc and sending a card - on time;


• For feeding the pets every day - and changing their water too;


• For doing the school run every day, rain or shine;


• For having that magic touch that rubs away pain and kisses tears dry;


• For not being too shy to sing and dance in public when it means you can avoid tantrums;


• For putting on all the voices when you read the bedtime story;


• For checking for nits (and dealing with them if you find them);


• For sitting in the park when you really want to be sitting by a pool with a glass of wine;


• For being the secret Sock Fairy who can wash, match and put away endless not-quite-identical black or white socks without breaking down;


• For making sure the family get their 5 portions a day;


• For having an answer at the ready when you are asked where babies come from;


• For being the only one who cleans the bathroom properly and knows where dirty washing belongs;


• For saying "no" to those high heeled shoes/freakishly expensive trainers even if "all their friends have them";


• For having the best cuddles, end of story;

I just want to say "thank you" - because I don't think mums are thanked anywhere near enough. What we do may not necessarily have a £60k salary or a swanky office, but we do an amazing job shaping and nurturing these human beings under our care (even before they are born). It may seem like a grind (and worse some days), but all those big and little things we all do every day keep the world turning and life flowing. Without mums in the world it would be a grim place (not to mention an untidy one with everyone wearing odd socks and never getting anywhere on time!).

I salute you/me!
Sarah x

PS: and if I've missed anything off, please feel free to add it below!

Sneaky Peek at some great Discounts!

Recently I came up with an idea to join forces with other online retailers to produce a booklet which featured special offers and discounts to customers.

And here it is! I thought you'd like a sneaky peek!

Basically, PhotoFairytales and eight other independent UK online retailers have come together in one little booklet which will be distributed up and down the country during this spring and summer at various mother and baby events. We are offering money off discount codes to all readers.

Whilst many of the retailers offer superb products for parents with young babies and toddlers, even if this doesn't apply to you take a look anyway - there are some fabulous general gift stores there too!

If you would like to take a look, and see the discount codes for yourself, just visit the Special Offers page on my website for details.

Best wishes,

Sarah

" Sexy" - am I being overly sensitive..?

I'm developing a serious problem with the word "sexy", and I think I'm going to have to vent my spleen here a bit - tell me what you think...

It seems totally acceptable now to use this word in mainstream situations: tv, magazines, etc. Now, I'm not talking about this from the point of view of an adult - I'm talking about it from the point of view of a mum to a 7 year old. Should I be getting upset when she puts on a new top, looks at herself in the mirror, strikes a silly pose and asks "d'ya think I'm seeexy?!". Now, she's doing it in a fun, jokey way - but, it makes me feel so uncomfortable. This word gets bantered around even on children's telly - and don't even get me started on pop videos/singers...

My daughter is clever, smart, funny, beautiful and a fabulous little character - she is NOT sexy.

So, when she asked if I thought she was "seeexy", I just smiled and said, "no sweetheart, you're not, you're my little girl and I love you." But she still wasn't sure if I was being mean or not. And what to say when she turns round (like she did the other day) and asks me what the word means? Well poppet, it means you're sexually attractive to other people...I think not!!!

I don't remember this word being in use when I was a kid. I might sound like a total old prude, but I'm not sure I'm getting upset for no reason am I? I don't even feel comfortable letting her watch pop videos - I'm so sick of seeing women with their bums on show grinding like a lap dancer. And then there's the Playboy range in Argos - Amy loves looking at those pages in the catalogue: they're all PINK! Oh, and it seems that once your child gets past the age 5/6 years clothing sizes, she's suddenly expected to dress like a psuedo teenager in black t-shirts with words like "Bitch" picked out in glitter. You're kidding me right...?

Tell me what you think...

A great keepsake created from your child's artwork!

When it comes to drawing, creating and painting, Amy is very, very, very prolific! I am treated daily to fabulous creations. Only this weekend she transformed a toilet roll and an empty tissue box into an airplane and hangar. The outer wrapper from the peperami she was munching while cutting and sticking, became the escape shute for the passengers when the plane crashed. (That's "when", not "if"..!)

But she also loves to curl up on the sofa with a tray and her ENORMOUS pencil case (yes, the 7 year old inside me is insanely jealous!), and draw a wonderful picture. Like most mums my fridge is plastered with all this artwork. And it is virtually impossible to throw any of it away of course. So in the seven short years of her life I have managed to fill two memory boxes and a huge folder with her drawings! I adore everything she does, of course, but every now and then she will create something really amazing. Usually a picture with a story - and half the joy is listening to her explaining what is going on in the image.

So - this set me a thinking..... wouldn't it be great to do something with these special pictures? Those hand or foot prints, those pictures of the family at the beach, the self portraits, or the drawing of the house she wants to live in when she's grown up? Having just introduced a range of box canvases, it suddenly struck me how fantastic to be able to create a canvas from a child's masterpiece! It could be a straightforward print of the original picture, or it could have a little message added like the one shown here (if the design allows!).

So if you have a precious painting or drawing why not get it created into a fabulous and totally unique piece of permanent wall art? The printing quality is superb, so it will capture every detail and pencil or paintbrush stroke. You can get it printed as an 8" square slimline canvas for only £12 or a deeper framed 10" square canvas for £25 - and that includes UK delivery.

What a fabulous keepsake or present - parents, grandparents, aunties & uncles would surely love to receive one? Just take a look at http://photofairytales.co.uk/canvasforher.aspx - a great idea for a Father's Day present too perhaps?!

Best wishes, Sarah

Arghhh - Valentine's Day!!!!!

Does this feel remotely familiar?..: You've been together for a while now and Valentine's Day is approaching. You take a look around the shops and are confronted with a range of items that are "sexy" (shudder) or "cute" (blurgh).

You've been through the edible knickers and penis-shaped pasta stage - and come out the other side. You don't want to give houseroom to something that is fluffy and red and, quite frankly, naff. You can't afford Tiffany's. You did the 'chocolate heart with their name on' from Thorntons last year - and possibly the year before that...

Hard isn't it? How do you find a present for the person you love (and who only this morning was squeezing a spot in the bathroom), that sums up what you feel?

Well, I might not have hit the nail on the head for everyone, but hopefully I've managed to come up with some ideas that might help. Take a look at my personalised Valentine's Day gift ideas and hopefully you'll find something that will fit the bill. Oh, and prices start at around £10, so no silly Tiffany-type prices either!

Now, if you could just give me your suggestions on what I can get I'd appreciate it (seems not quite right to give him something from my own website!)...

Sarah x

Let them eat snow...!

"So, Freddy - have you been eating the snow?"

"Me? No..."

"Are you sure - because it looks as if you might have been...?"

"No, no, not eating snow, no, not me."

"Did you eat any yellow snow?"

"I don't think so, erm...... let's run!!"

A new decade begins...!

Where do the hours go every day? No, I'm serious, where exactly do they go? I can't believe we are now more than half way through January already!

Christmas in our household was snowy and perfect - by Christmas Eve I had so much food (and a worktop covered, it seemed, in cakes of all variations: Yule Log, Mince Pies, Christmas Cake, Stollen, etc) that I wondered whether we would get through it all. But - er, well - we did! Then just four days later we added another cake to the dwindling collection - a birthday cake for Amy to celebrate her 7th birthday. My little girl is seven!!!! Now that really does leave me wondering where time goes, and how it moves so quickly. It seems like only a year or two ago that we were taking her to playgroup and asking her to say the word "flower" ("ferwah") just because she sounded so cute!

Towards the end of last year I started work on a new item for PhotoFairytales - once again inspired by Amy Rose. After she lost her first tooth, I wrote a special little letter from the Tooth Fairy for her - just a little thing, hastily put together. But it's something that Amy has always treasured, and when she lost yet another tooth last Autumn it gave me the idea of perhaps adding a Tooth Fairy item to the website.

With such great feedback and lovely responses to my personalised letters from Santa, I decided to work along the same lines - offering a letter packed with details about the child, and with extra gifts and surprises too. And so I am now pleased to announce that the Tooth Fairy letters are now available and on sale - plus, as an introductory offer, if you quote the order code "10BLOG" you can claim a 10% discount on your letter! For more details just click here.

I'm still working on even more new items - so watch this space for more news and offers!

Happy New Year and very best wishes,
Sarah x


(PS: There are versions of the letter available for both boys and girls!)