Tish Tash Toys

Be-Fabulous is a lifestyle networking site, giving women a place where they can share, support, inspire, motivate and feel empowered.

The site offers:

TALK: forums that cover everything from business advice, top tips for networking to recommendations on books, films and restaurants, plus you can share your take on the recent celebrity gossip or tell your own life-story and inspire others – we’ve also recently created member-run sections where you can discuss certain lifestyle and health issues.

MEET: our event calendar is free for all members to promote their own events, plus we post interesting events that we’ve discovered.  So if you’re looking to join a business networking group, looking for courses or workshops or maybe just want to try something new or spend a day/evening at a pamper event then you can find it here.

INSPIRE: each month we publish articles that have been written by members and other inspirational women.  Our articles cover a whole host of topics and our main criteria is that they get you thinking, get you motivated and inspire you to think differently.  We’ve had everything from how to drink gin and how to use NLP techniques in business, right through to what style tribe you fit into and how to find your perfect man – so a real mix!

INVITE: we’ve produced 4 e-cards, with gorgeous images, that you can use to either tell your friends about the website or simply send to let someone know that you’re thinking of them.

BOOK OF GEMS:  the sites directory is a place to discover real hidden gems of business that you might never have discovered, members can promote themselves and we’re now starting to talk to companies and businesses to build up a great directory that will be your first port of call when you’re looking for beauty treatments, gifts, coaching, restaurants, hotels and fashion etc.

Oh and we’re also in the process of introducing a real-time chat room plus a way to find new friends within your area so you can meet other like-minded fabulous women!

Be whoever you are, whenever you want…Be Fabulous! www.be-fabulous.co.uk

The charity fayre takes place on Saturday 22nd August, 11am-3pm. Help us raise funds for Breakthrough Breast Cancer and the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary and join us for a great family day out. Ferret Racing, Face Painting, Tish Tash Toys stall, Fair Rides, Pony Rides, Beer Tent, Caribbean Cuisine. Music and Dance Entertainment. Many Charity and craft stalls; and we are lucky to have Jackie and Tippy Toes as seen on Britain’s got Talent to open our event!

Been exhibiting at the Axe Vale Festival all weekend. It was our first year at this popular annual flower festival just outside the small town of Axminster in Devon. Luckily for us - it’s only a 15 minute drive to the showground and it’s always lovely to do these local events. There were exhibitors there from all over the country though and a lot of them. I was surprised when I got to look round, just how big it was, with everything there from crafts, food, agricultural machinery, plants, flowers, clothing and charities. The Axe Vale Festival is a voluntary, non profit making organisation which raises funds for the Flamingo Pool and other local charities.

The toys went down very well, and I really enjoyed sharing a stall in the shopping mall area with Harriet of  The Children’s Jewellery Company. It was lovely to see so many familiar faces, with family members, friends and mums from school popping over to say hello. We sold a wide range of toys this weekend, with the wooden toys being ever popular with parents and grandparents. Lots of people commented on the traditional old fashioned toys we had on display like the rainbow humming spinning top.

Also chatted to people interested in working for us as party plan agents and mums wanting toy parties or coffee mornings plus event organisers looking for toy sellers for their own events later in the year. We are back in the Tish Tash Toys office today and working on our new mail order catalogue. This will be our fourth annual collection of children’s toys, including pre-school and toddler toys, gifts for birthdays and Christmas, pocket money toys and party bag fillers.

Came across a super website this week called mirrors4kids.co.uk. Their range of mirrors work well with children’s bedrooms, bathroms, or any room that would look good with a funky mirror. I love the affordable £15 butterfly mirror, (below) which is made of acrylic. Acrylic mirrors are lighter, stronger and safer than glass. They are laser cut at the mirrors4kids workshop in Huntingdon. Appropriate details and patterns can then be screen printed onto the mirrors.

As well as the lovely butterfly kids mirror, there is also a cute book worm design, a cool childrens car mirror and a sun shaped mirror. The friendly looking crocodile mirror would look fabulous in any children’s bedroom or ensuite with a jungle or safari theme as would the lion, elephant, hippo or giraffe mirror. The dancing star mirror could look good in a space themed bedroom, and the purple dippy dino mirror is another favourite of mine. Kids who love bunny rabbits will be thrilled to receive the Easter Bunny mirror and the flower shaped mirror is very attractive.

Fairy themed bedrooms are always popular with little girls, the fairy and mushroom mirror above would suit this room well. My daughter would love the pig, teddy bear and pony mirrors and my son would like the football, rugby ball or space ship mirror - there really is something for everyone!

THE place for children’s mirrors is definately mirrors4kids.co.uk. Check it out today.

Agents needed all over the UK - flexible home based job - work around the family, decide how many hours to work and earn extra all year round - see www.tishtashtoys.com

Spreading the word about MEAT FREE MONDAYS !! I’ve been vegetarian for over 25 years now, my two kids aged seven and three are veggie too. So great to see this new campaign which I will be backing 100% http://www.supportmfm.org/

So what’s it all about? It’s a food campaign to encourage the nation to help slow climate change by reducing their meat consumption by having at least one meat free day a week. Having a MEAT FREE day every week is a simple way to start making a real difference in the world. The more people who join in, the more difference we can make.

But how can we all help? It’s easy, just devote at least one day a week, or more, if you like eating meat free. We’ve materials you can use to promote MFM and run your own meat free Monday’s, along with ideas and recipes for you to enjoy. If you’re vegetarian or vegan already, please use the campaign as an opportunity to get others involved by sharing with them your delicious dishes with them.

The UK’s Food Climate Research Network suggests that food production from farm to fork is responsible for between 20-30 percent of global green house gas emissions. Livestock production is responsible for around half of these emissions. The more meat we produce and eat the bigger that carbon footprint will get. A sustainable future demands that we cut down - and yet between 1961 and 2007 the world population increased by a factor of 2.2, but meat consumption quadrupled, and poultry consumption increased 10-fold.

As a result the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has concluded that the livestock sector is ‘one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global’.

To build a better world in the future we all need to make changes in our lifestyles now. Not all the changes we have to make are easy; and not all the easy changes we can make are meaningful. But making just one day a week a meat-free day is really is the little thing that can make a big change. For instance, the group Compassion in World Farming estimate that if the average UK household halved its consumption of meat this would cut more emissions than if car use was cut in half. By making a simple change in the way you eat, you are taking part in a world changing campaign where what’s good for you is also good for the planet.

Agents needed all over the UK - great part-time job for parents www.tishtashtoys.com

A national search is on to find the UK’s most deserving individual who can show how studying new skills could change their life. Could that be you or someone you know???

This person might have overcome challenges to advance their career, they might be out to gain new career prospects and self-enlightenment or could simply have always dreamed of studying a particular course and for some reason was never able to.

With this in mind, The Remote Worker Awards and The Open University invite you to enter The Open University Skills Award to win a brand new career!

The Open University Skills Award is one of the highlights of The Remote Worker Awards in association with BT Business, which aims to raise awareness for remote and home working as an alternative solution to redundancy and the traditional nine to five office routine.

The Remote Worker Awards has been organised by Remote Employment, a job site specialising in flexible, remote and home working, offers nine categories. Award-winners will walk away with a prestigious trophy and will enjoy up to £50k in prizes, including a Penthouse Garden Office worth £10k, a Home Franchise worth £15k, interior design, business starter kits, a mobile laptop and a fabulous luxury weekend at a von Essen Hotel. And a brand new career!

Improving skills is an ideal way to increase job security in these uncertain employment times so this is a great way to receive a brand new career.

The Open University is giving one deserving winner a £2000 first prize and two £500 runners up prizes, all of which can be used by students to develop themselves in their existing role, or with a complete change of career in mind.

For more information or any other enquiry about The Open University Skills Award, call Paula on 020 8133 6329 or browse www.remoteworkerawards.com

PS: We are also on the hunt for the best home business! Is that you? Look at the BT Home Business Award to see the fab prizes you could win! Pass this on!

Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row

This popular children’s nursery rhyme is a reference to Bloody Mary. The garden refers to growing cemeteries, as she filled them with Protestants. Silver bells and cockle shells were instruments of torture and the maiden was a device used to behead people. Mary was Queen of England between 1553 and 1558.

Mary began her tumultuous reign at 37 years of age. Following the disarray created by Edward VI’s passing of the succession to Lady Jane Grey (Jane lasted only nine days), Mary’s first act was to repeal the Protestant legislation of her brother, Edward VI, hurling England into a phase of severe religious persecution. Her major goal was the re-establishment of Catholicism in England, a goal to which she was totally committed. Persecution came more from a desire for purity in faith than from vengeance, yet the fact remains that nearly 300 people (including former Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer and many of the most prominent members of society) were burned at the stake for heresy, earning Mary the nickname, “Bloody Mary.”

LOOKING FOR A PART-TIME JOB - SOMETHING FLEXIBLE TO WORK AROUND YOUR FAMILY. WE NEED NEW AGENTS  TODAY - CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE WWW.TISHTASHTOYS.COM

A fun day for all on Sunday 14th June 2009. Dog show, car boot sale, stalls, field entertainment, BBQ, teas, beer tent, ice cream, competitions and, for the children, bouncy castle, face painting and lucky dip. Do come along. You will receive a warm welcome and have a great time! Time: 12 noon - 4.00pm. Free entrance. Tamsin will be there with her Tish Tash Toys stall.

Had a fantastic day yesterday at The Playdome children’s soft play centre in Honiton, Devon. We held a casting session there looking for mini models for our new mail order catalogue. My hubby’s cousin Harriet was there too looking for children to model her beautiful hand made jewellery and she has written her blog already - click here to read it.

We got there about 9.15 and people were already starting to queue for the casting which started at ten am. We went on until 3pm and saw over 150 children. A HUGE thank you to everyone who came and waited a long time to be seen. We are so sorry we can’t have all your lovely children modelling for us! We only need about half a dozen models. Thanks also to April and her wonderful staff at The Playdome for coping with the x-factor style madness!

I’ll be in touch with the models we choose by Monday 15th June to arrange a date for the modelling session.

LOOKING FOR A PART-TIME JOB - SOMETHING FLEXIBLE TO WORK AROUND YOUR FAMILY. WE NEED NEW AGENTS  TODAY - CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE WWW.TISHTASHTOYS.COM