New Mama & Baby Packs.

What a crazy week! Mama Packs went back on sale again and as per usual sold out within hours, lots of lovely emails from people loving the packs but when I suggest they leave a testimonial or review on the site only a handful do.

Some of the testimonials have me in stitches, I particularly like the one left by Kitty Banham

who said:

“omg I nearly peed myself when it arrived, no one knows I am pregnant so
the postman standing there with a box with Mama Pack written on it made
me grin so far round my head it nearly split in two! “

I remember that so proud feeling very well, the feeling like you could just split in two like a firework when anyone noticed or asked if you were pregnant.

Having a tough time keeping patient this week. Lots of companies want to sample in the packs but it seems they are sensible and work 'normal' hours which means deliveries of samples is slow by my 24/7 workaholic standards!! I have been waiting for one particularly exciting sample to arrive for 2 weeks now. This means I am regularly seen staring out the window at delivery vans hoping they have that package!

I have got quite a good relationship now with the delivery chaps and have a chat and a giggle with them, they can't get their head round what we do here but often comment on how nice the packages smell. This morning the driver said “More smellies?” as he handed me a large squidgy parcel... “Nope” I replied with a big grin, “Sanitary towels.... washable ones!” His face was a picture!!!

The sanitary towels were for the new 'baby' of the packs which is going on sale today!

The New Mama & baby Pack.

This is a gift pack people can buy for the expectant or newly birthed mother. It will contain the following:

Newborn Cloth Nappy.

Newborn Baby Vest.

Baby Soap.

Mummy Massage Bar.

£2 Gift Certificate for Fizz n Suds Shop

Mummy Massage roller.

Cloth Sanitary Towel.

Sanitary Towel bag.

Baby Bandana Bib.

Baby Wash Mit.

Washable Baby Bottom wipes.

A congratulations personalised bar of Green and Blacks chocolate.

£1 Gift Certificate for MORE chocolate from Rizy's Wrappers.

A taggy comfort blanket.

A roll of 100% degradable nappy sacks.

A Booby Reminder breastfeeding bracelet

Newborn knitted booties.

Baby Cream wonda balm.

Beautiful gem phone charm / keyring charm

My goodness it's the first time I've seen the list written down!! Even I am impressed lol

Anyway to buy all of these things individually would cost you a little over £67 but I have not taken into account the separate shipping charges so it's more like £80.

Not a bad little gift to give someone is it?? better than a bunch of grapes!!

The photo doesn't show all the items in the box... must update that!

Right... the sun is out which means I should go and do some more work on the Chookery!

Namaste!

The Mama Pack Cult Buy!!

We reckon there must be a body guard, you know like the two Ron's from the 80's ?? What were they called [hurriedly Googlies..] Ahhh The Management!

Anyway where was I? Oh yes, we think there must be the Two Rons sitting to the side of the Mama Pack web store as no matter how late, how quietly, how non dramatically we add Mama Packs to the website they sell out within an hour!

We have taken to adding batches in groups of 20. Why? Well the emails we get from people pleading with us to “Put a pack aside for me, I'll pay double!” or “Please, please call me when they are for sale!” made us think that if we released them in batches of 20 some of the ladies who get on at erratic times during the day [or night while breastfeeding] would stand a chance of getting a pack.

I'm beginning to think it is more a case of “I bought a Mama Pack” than just having a sample of what is inside.... Have we spawned a cult buy? Are we the new Crocs?

I have to say though that during September we have some amazing businesses joining the samplers..... The Green Parent Magazine will be adding a copy of their magazine into each pack, Rude Health will be offering up a delicious feast for breakfast... mmmmm and many many more!

We are thinking by December the Mama Pack will have to upgrade it's 9 x 6 box and blossom into a bigger one to accommodate all the goodness within!

The August competition pack was sealed today and a photo taken of it's innards... I am tempted to keep it but alas I have no new-borns and my youngest is now **gasp** FIVE!

There is also the birth of the Mama Contacts Directory..... You've all seen the books for sale listing out where to go for your green, ethical, enviro crunchy products and we've all been guilty of standing in WHSmiths wishing we have the money to buy a copy to mull over at home.

Well the Mama Contact Directory is FREE!! It is free to anyone who cares to download it from the Mama Packs store. Downloading of course means you save paper and our ink...

Oh my goodness our ink!! I was printing out some contact directories today for the last batch of Mama Packs and my blessed ink startedto run out.... they might not look as fab as they should but they are good enough and I will use the printers cartridge until it is quite quite empty! I'll stand on it's plastic neck and wring it dry if I have to..... well!! Every drop counts ya' know!

I am of the distinct impression that the recycled paper we use 'drinks' ink a lot readily than the nasty bleached virgin paper.... Someone really should come up with a gloopier ethical ink for peeps like us shouldn't they?

Bank Holidays are a bit weird here as we still have heaps of work to do and yet no one else seems to be working so our emails and phone calls echo in a chasm of 'fun havers' ... **sigh**

Anyway apart from that I have had a HUGE office jiggle.... Well I say huge, what I mean is the window side..... and yes I know our desks are still a mess but you know it's all organised chaos!

The jumper that is stretched over the back of my chair has history so don't think I am being a slovenly lady!

It belonged to my dear Daddy and when he died in march 1988 my Gradnfather took it back to Czechoslovakia with him and he wore it. When he died in August 2006 [anniversary tomorrow] I

brought it back home to be with me.

When ever I have a hard decision to make, having a pants time or just in need of a hug I wrap the arms around me and feel...... safe.

I have to add here I have also used the sleeve to wipe spilt organic white wine off my chest after an on-line friend made me SCREAM with laughter and I might add almost drown during an MSN chat.

Msn is bad for you and your heirlooms don't you know!! I was blowing wine out my nostrils for hours!!

Oh my goodness... I've written a book on here again.... ok over and out.

NAMASTE!

The roof, the roof, the roof is on .....

Well yesterday was a busy day in the chookery! We finished off the doors for the pop hole side and added a roof. The wood part of the roof was made out of a wardrobe I have had since 1972 and the felt was new. Robert didn't want to get reclaimed/recycled as it usually isn't very good quality and waterproof... I agree. So we invested in a roll for £6 and have loads left to cover the sand-pit area when it is built.

Then I got busy insulating the south side, I used cardboard boxes from suppliers and samplers to slide in between the two walls of the side and then packed bubble wrap, carrier bags and other plastic wrapping that was from the business in between the card and the inside wall. Nice padded insulated wall now on that side as it gets the most wind. Then started painting the south side. I used left over fencing paint and some magnolia that we have no idea where it came from but found a HUGE pot of it in the shed.

Then in typical Yzzy style I had to decorate the chookery so we cut a potato into a stamp and a wine cork and got daisy painting with some left over paint from when I decorated the boys room earlier this year.

At one point I went to add a bit more paint to the yellow pallet and promptly sat full force on the edge of the drain border!! OUCH!!!!! I am now sporting a rather cool bruise on my bottom, good job it's well padded or I could have cracked my pelvis!

Building this is making me think of Duck-Duck and our first aviary we built for him and the Rabbits / Guinea pig. That was such a cool garden, it's a shame we have such a small one now and such a high fox population here. I could hear foxes screaming in the distance last night and I wondered if it was just a rubbish bag they had found to sing about or if someone had lost a pet to them.

The sound of their 'joy' when they ravaged Duck-Duck and guinea will haunt us both... we will make sure this coop is sly proof.... well as sly proof as one can.

Why do foxes sound like chimpanzees now? I remember a few years ago they used to howly-yelp you could tell it was a fox. Nowadays they either sound like a female being attacked or chimpanzees.... horrid sound!

Anyway... it's chucking it down with rain on and off so I don't think we will make much progress on things but I am hoping we can build the nest boxes today.

Only the main door to do after that and the sand box and we will be ready for the girls.

Torin enjoyed painting yellow daisies on the coop... and yes he has got black nail varnish on, when Rio giggled Torin said, "You know River..... boys can have nails painted toooooo" and flounced off.

More photos can be seen from yesterday either in the slide show on the left here or by clicking the slideshow.

The Hen lady called!!

Just spoke to Lesley the Hen rescue lady and we are going to be collecting our girls in 4 weeks!!

How exciting!

I must now spend some time showing the little members of the family what they will look like as I don't want them to be shocked / upset when they arrive and look oven ready...

Mama Packs

The Mama Packs are taking over the office!

I think after our September break we need to have a meeting to discuss 'space'. I don't mean an in depth analysis of Mercury and Venus either.

I have been finding myself staring at the lounge area thinking how I could fit cupboards and shelving in there... Is this a normal obsession for work at home parents? To fantasise about taking over the whole house?

Anyway, I'm thinking an office refurb and some serious cupboard purchasing/freecycling is in order. Unless of course all my children decide to join the foreign legion thus leaving me with 4 spare rooms!!

My beloved book shelf containing my personal library has already been relegated to our loft room and a pile of “oh I might need that” has been harvested and placed next to my desk waiting for me to bite the bullet and either freecycle or sell on £bay..... But.... But what if I suddenly need 3 pinards, or my last two Goddess Mums ring slings or heaven forbid I may wake up one morning and decide that I really need the belly casting equipment again!! Oh the pain, the pain...

And someone please tell me why I thought buying a running machine for the office would make us use it? I think my exact words when I put it together were, “Right then, every half hour or so we stop work, jump on here and run for 10 minutes.... think how fit we'll be?”

Or rather think how annoying it will be to have a big lump in the office restricting our space and reminding us what sedatory oafs we are!!

Mind you as you can see it has a dual purpose, what a lovely towel rail it makes!

The box quivering behind it is my "might need this box"... so there you go I have found a reason to keep the running machine!! It hides the might need it box from view so i don't sell anything thus meaning when I wake up one morning and shout "I need a pinard now!!" I can easily run to the office and find a selection of three...

I'm a genius!!!

Pennywell Pigs

Oh no!!

What news.... they are no longer adding people to their waiting list!!

Robert and I were saying today as we were building the Chookery how we could easily enlarge the area and add a sty for when we are ready to get our Pennywell Piggies....

I went to look at the website just now and it says they no longer have a waiting list as thousands of people world-wide want them!!

What a shame.... clearly fate though so we shall forge ahead with our chookery and try not to get too down about lack of Pennywells. *sigh*

Phase Two

Yeahy... I cracked flickr!! lol....

So there should now be photos that update on here or you can go to HERE and view them all.

The materials used in making the Chookery so far have been:

An old wood rubbish bin container
Some pallets
Our old double pine bed
A wardrobe [tall boy] that I have had since I was 2 years old!!
Some reclaimed nails, hinges, bolts and screws,
Some twisted willow branched
An old fire guard
The ladder is the back of the bed!
The wall lining inside the coop is from old laminate flooring thrown out by neighbours in their skip... *grin* Yeahy for skip shopping!


The tools used were given to us by Mama and the lady next door has been holding on to her fathers tools and gave them to Robert... Thank you Francis!!

There is still a bit to do, we need to felt the roof [waiting for some felt to turn up at the tip!] I need to re-do the fencing around it as it is a bit too low and the old fire guard which i adapted to be a gate is far too low.

I aim to have this all done by September as the rescue center will have chooks for us then! ... Hopefully....

The Chookery!

I've tried to blog before but either got terribly bored or lost log in details... so here is my new concerted effort to blog.

I shall start by going back in time to last month 'July 08' when we started to build our Chookery. A home for our intended Rescued battery Hens.

Hmmm, how does one add images??? Ahhh done it!

That is child number 3 Lolly waiting for some jobs as she wanted to help daddy build!