My little boy starts school in September and here he is with his big sister – both looking very dapper in their school uniforms! He’s got his uniform early as doing ‘taster’ sessions each Thursday until the end of school and loving it!
At last…..the sunshine is here, and I love it. I’ve set up a table on the terrace, with DIY umbrella/parasol (and parcel tape!) as a sunscreen so I can actually see the screen on my old laptop! I’d just finished setting up my al fresco office when Gabriella thought it looked like a nice spot for an afternoon snooze!
For those of you who don’t know much about me, I must tell you I LOVE CATS. I have had a cat since I was ten or eleven and got my first little black and white kitten for my birthday. I named her Kerry after a lovely girl I’d just met at a new school I started. Kerry and I went on to become best friends at school and my cat Kerry was my best friend throughout my early teens. Unfortunately she injested rat poison when she was just 5 and suffered a horrendously painful death. We were never sure which neighbour was using poison but I’ve never used it myself – I use humane rat traps.
When Kerry was quite young – we somehow aquired Katy – more of a family cat than my own. Beautiful long haired lively loving tabby. We lost her at three though as she was knocked down by some teenagers driving too fast in the lane behind our village home.
My next feline friend came into my life when I was working as a veterinary nurse in Liverpool, in my early twenties. I’d been given random wild creatures to take home, nurse and ‘learn on my feet’ so to speak. But Maddy (above with baby Tash) was the first cat I had responsibility to nurse back to health. She’d been brought in one night after being found crumpled up on the side of the road, having being hit by a car. After three weeks not eating, I managed to get her to have a meal and she never looked back. Then as no-one came to claim her, she came home with me. Maddy was a wonderful companion for 13 years and passed away in 2008.
When Maddy was about three or four – I came out of a five year relationship and moved into my own place. I saw an ad in a shop window for kittens and went to see them with a good friend Mary.
She took two home and so did I. My two were named Robbie and Macy and Rob is still with me now at the grand age of ten. Sadly, we lost Macy at three to acute kidney failure. Robbie is sitting proudly above and also pictured at the top with Natasha and Aleck.
And the newest kitten on the block is my daughter’s first cat – Gabriella (above). Natasha was very lucky to be allowed her first much wished for cat on her 8th birthday and Gabby is already 6 months old, how time flies! She’s a rescue from our local East Devon Cat’s Protection, found under a rabbit hutch in a garden in Cullompton at a day old with her two sisters and a very bedraggled tired mummy cat. She’s the first tortie – or tortoiseshell we’ve had and is such a lovely affectionate girl. Natasha and Gabriella already have a wonderful bond.
I’ll leave you with this photo (below) of me about to burst preggers with Tasha – 8 years ago. With my three cats at the time – Maddy on the left and the two boys Robbie & Macy.
Here’s some things I’ve come across this week which I thought might be useful/interesting to pass on. Please add comments at the end if you’ve found the links of interest, I’d love to hear from you and see what you think.
1. Tina (above) at Kitty Kat Cards in Maryland, USA cut her hair off and donated it to make wigs for women who have lost their hair to cancer. How cool is Tina, you go girl!
2. Age Concern and Help the Aged is calling on people to keep an eye out for older family‚ friends and neighbours during the cold weather. The charity is concerned that the extreme temperatures will leave some older people facing difficulties getting out to buy food and essentials‚ while others will struggle to stay warm. I found a very sad story on the news today about a 90 year old woman slipping in her garden near Barnsley and dying of hypothermia – click here to read (but get the hankies ready). Poor woman.
3. More tissues needed – for the “Letter to my daughter’s other mother” article on the MumsRock blog. I often think about adopting a child (read my blog on it) so this was particularly poignant for me. I had a friend back in Sussex with an absolute angel of a daughter she’d adopted and the mother in this letter reminds me of that child’s birth mother.
4. Carrying on the sad theme with a blog about a tough few months from a twitter friend of mine Sarah of Kookylicious.
5. And let’s not stop there – might as well use the whole box of tissues up. I came across the Most/Least blog this week. Ella is mum to four boys aged 7, 5, 3 and 1. Last February, Ella’s 5 year old son William was diagnosed with FSGS and her family’s lives changed forever.
It’s our pre-school Christmas Bazaar tomorrow and I was thinking of making some little sweets to sell to raise more funds for the preschool. I remember making chocolate truffles for my Grandad when I was a teenager, and decorating used tea tea boxes to put them in for Christmas and birthdays! My Grandad kept the boxes for years afterwards, which showed how much he appreciated his lovingly made home made treats. I might try making some sweeties for preschool today and if they’re a success, perhaps give some out as Christmas presents this year too. It’s a very eco friendly green present as you can recycle old food boxes and cover with pretty paper or gingham fabric and ribbons etc. I think people really appreciate these kinds of home made gifts.
Nothing much in my cookbooks so I’ve searched google and found lots of interesting recipes:
There’s a very long list of sweets on About.com
There are some easy recipes for kids to make themselves on Mumsnet
Sugarboy.co.uk has some sweet recipes
Raspberry Jam Drops look good as do Chocolate Raisin Clusters
WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK FROM HOME – WORK AROUND YOUR LITTLE ONES ?
CLICK ON TISH TASH TOYS FOR MORE INFO
I’m on the committee for the pre-school my little boy attends in the small village of Upottery in East Devon (about half hour out of Exeter). The pre-school is a registered charity (number 1030355) and run by a really wonderful committed group of parents. It’s a fantastic community resource in this little rural farming village and I like to help out however I can.
One of the ways the pre-school raises funds at Christmas is by doing a Christmas Hamper. They collect food items to make up the hamper then sell raffle tickets and raise money which goes towards the running of the school. They raised about £500 doing this last year. This went towards a new playground surface which is now in place and is a huge improvement to the worn away, potholed playground the kids used to have!
I’m on a mission to collect some foodie goodies from fellow businesses this year, so please either add a comment if you can donate something or email me direct on sharon@tishtashtoys.com
We would be more than happy to pass on your company flyers etc to all the parents there too. There are currently about 30 children attending Upottery pre-school.
I could also add a blog article about your business on here – just send me over some words & I’ll add links etc. This blog has been going for years now and all the articles get well ranked on google so great free ad for you.
Thank you for reading
Sharon
Photo of the hamper comes from Judith Glue Hampers – see http://www.judithglue.com/hampers/Christmashamperslinkpage.htm
I bought Elle magazine (USA edition) today and couldn’t believe there were not one but several advertisements for fur. So I’ve complained – using the form on this link – click here to complain http://www.elle.com/Contact-Us
It is NOT what I want to see in the magazines I read. Do you?
That’s number ONE complaint – PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE join me in doing the same, then add a comment on this blog to tell us which number you are. Let’s try and send 100 complaints to Elle magazine.
This is the complaint email I sent – short, sweet and to the point. Please feel free to copy this message, or adapt it.
I bought Elle (USA edition) today and was absolutely appalled to see several adverts for fur!!! For example The Fur Vault at Macy’s, Pologeorgis and Sorbara Fur. I thought the fashion world had moved on but obviously not. This is absolutely disgusting and I will not be buying Elle magazine again. I will also be blogging and twittering to others urging them to boycott your unethical immoral business.
Regards
Sharon Pavey
UK
For further information on how you can support the ANTI-FUR CAMPAIGN see The Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade website.
This is the link http://www.elle.com/Contact-Us
Click above to tell Elle USA what you think of them advertising FUR !
Thank you x
Today we announce a strategic move which will allow Rainbow to offer increased support to more families with children who have a terminal or life threatening illness, directly in their home and in the community. We plan to close our two respite houses; Rainbow Fernstone in Northumberland and Rainbow House in Surrey at the end of the year.
Heather Wood, Chief Executive of Rainbow Trust, comments;“We are very proud of the work that has happened in our two houses over many years and our Trustees have made this decision to ensure we offer practical support to as many families as possible. We know that there is more demand for our services than we are currently able to meet.”
She continues; “Helping families who have children with a terminal or life threatening illness will remain our core focus. The decision to close our two houses will mean we can add an additional 16 Family Support Workers including a new team in North West London and extra Family Support Workers in all our care teams based in the North. By the end of 2012, the charity will be reaching an extra 300 families who currently do not have access to our support.”
Bernadette Cleary, the founder of Rainbow Trust has lent her firm backing to the move;“The Trustees of Rainbow Trust have made this difficult decision to ensure the charity can offer as much help to families with seriously ill children as possible in the future. The impact of having a child with a life threatening or terminal illness is devastating for a family, and the need for emotional and practical support provided in the family home or at hospital sadly outstrips availability. Our experience over the last 23 years shows that families get more benefits from support in their own home.”
“I therefore fully support Rainbow Trust’s decision and, as always, wish all those involved the very best for the future. I’d also like to offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who continues to support the charity. The hard work of its staff and volunteers really does make an enormous difference, and it is vital these services are available to as many people as possible.”
The two houses are likely to be closed by the end of 2009. Proceeds from the sale of the properties will go towards support for families with seriously or terminally ill children. Existing bookings at the two houses will be honoured until the end of 2009.
If you are a family and would like to discuss this change or if you have any concerns, please contact either your Family Support Worker or local Care Team. If you need to find out the contact details of your Care Team, please telephone Andrea Heffernan on 01372 220073.
Saw a link for this on twitter – the seven most inappropriate toys for children, you would not believe what they make for kids! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/14/the-7-most-inappropriate_n_286223.html?slidenumber=0#slide_image
Also, read this about Tesco selling some dodgy pole dancing toy! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-412195/Tesco-condemned-selling-pole-dancing-toy.html
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I’m Sharon Pavey, a 36 year old mother of two originally from the north east of England.
I run Tish Tash Toys with my husband Dan and we sell a wonderful range of children’s toys via a website, a mail order catalogue and a growing team of around 150 agents across the UK. We’re based in beautiful East Devon.
We have two little ones – Tash (Natasha) is seven and Aleck (Alexander) is four. This blog consists of my personal ramblings about the business, family life and other stuff. Feel free to join in.
Would you like me to mention your business in my blog? Contact me direct at info@tishtashtoys.com
Find out more about joining our team NOW !!! We have sales representatives or consultants starting with us every week all over the UK and this could be the perfect part time job you are looking for – working around your family. Work from home, no pressure, targets or deadlines and set your own flexible working hours.
Do as much or as little as you like and receive all the support and training you need. Team Leaders and Area Managers also needed in all areas so lots of potential to earn more. Our Tish Tash Toys agents work all year round, either just selling using our lovely catalogues or doing toy parties, coffee mornings, attending school fairs, fundraisers, local baby shows, church fetes etc. It’s your own local business and it can be whatever you make it. Click here to see what our agents have to say….
