SATS STARS 2019

Do you know a child who is sitting school tests this year? It could be year 2 or year 6 SATs, GCSEs, A Levels or anything else.

Exams are pretty nerve wracking, and our SATs Star project is a sweet way to reassure your loved one that they are lovely lovable and loved exactly as the are, regardless of their performance in the exams.

The SATS Star project is now in its FOURTH year and we've sold literally hundreds of letters of encouragement and good luck charms in the past. We've had loads of gorgeous feedback from parents, including:

"Just received the sats letter and pac man wrist band. Thank you very much. The letter brought a tear to my eye it’s so lovingly written and the personal information just make it special. Can’t wait to give it to my boy on Monday. Thank you x "

❤️

"Mrs Bee, I have just received Jamie's sats letter and band, and I'm sat here in tears. Thank you so much, it sums up everything we want him to know. 

He is so worried about letting the school down, himself down and us down that he has got himself in a state, it's horrible to see my bright happy boy being weighed down with worry. Hopefully your letter will let him know how much we believe in him.

Thank you thank you thank you. Xxx "

❤️

"Just opened our SATs letters. What a really special thing for them to get. They love them and made 2 very anxious little girls feel much better at bed time. Thank you so much xxx "

❤️

What is the SATs Star Project?

The whole premise of the SATs Star Project is that 'the universe' sends your child a letter that reminds them that they are totally wonderful, and very much loved, regardless of the outcome of the tests. These letters can be personalised, so you give us some info about things to include (for example the child's interests, things they excel in, details of pets, family members, etc.) You can see an example of handwritten letters we sent here:

In addition to the letter, we send a small good luck token for the child to take into the exam room with them. The magic of the project is that the token (and there is a choice of options this year!) is that it provides a visual and sensual reminder of the lovely things that were said about the child in the letter.

We have had many parents tell us that they find their child's SATs Star trinket months and years after the SATs have finished, and their child becomes attached to the meaning behind it. They seem to be especially comforting for year 6s when the start secondary school.

So, do you want to hear about what we have for 2019?

💥 This year we have more options than ever before! 👀

1) A personalised letter of encouragement and a pin badge! These are especially effective because they can be pinned inside a pocket - so the child can discreetly feel the support by putting their hand inside their pocket. In this way it's discreet and other children don't necessarily need to know about it, if that makes the child feel better.

There are a choice of 2 pin designs with this SATs Star listing:

You can order this here: https://etsy.me/2DLfy5F

2) A personalised letter of encouragement and a personalised pendant!

You can personalise the letter AND the words on the necklace:

The necklace comes packaged in a black and silver card presentation box.

You can order this here: https://etsy.me/2PEogY9

3) A personalised letter of encouragement and a rainbow boblet (soft elastic wristband)

What symbolises hope more than a rainbow? These boblets are loved by our tweens and teens, and can be used to put up hair if necessary too. They can be re-tied to ensure the perfect fit.

You can buy this here: https://etsy.me/2PEogY9

4) A NON PERSONALISED letter of encouragement and a rainbow boblet wristie

This is a generalised letter of support, at a lower price point, so everyone can be included. We will send a lovely letter of support that doesn't include any specifics about your child, but is still something they will enjoy and remember. This option may also be more suitable for children who may feel a bit anxious about someone knowing so much about them.

You can buy this here: https://etsy.me/2DBe0ef

Why have the prices increased from last year?

Each year we try to find a way we can increase the amount of children we can send a SATs Star to. We are always interested to hear ways that we can expand the project, so please message us if you have some suggestions.

We are limited somewhat by the fact that there is only Dom and I working at Mrs Bee - and that this is our main family income. We give whatever we can, but we still have to pay the bills.

In the past we have sold heavily subsidised SATs Stars, and these have been well received. However, it means that there is no money to pay other people to help us write the letters (as these take the vast majority of the time).

In addition, we donate 20% of the total income to Young Minds. After discussing the issue with a focus group, we felt that we would be better to charge more for each item, which would then give us the opportunity to employ people to help us, donate more to charity and expand the project that way (whilst still enabling us to pay the bills - which is even more important now we have expanded into our own business premises).

We have consciously added an option at a low price point (£4, with free P&P) so that no-one is excluded by budget.

I hope you understand, and we are happy to receive any feedback as we are deeply committed to the SATS Star Project and we want to see it thrive.



Can I buy an extra SATS Star and you donate it to a child in need?

This is a tricky question and one that Dom and I have given a lot of brain power to. The suggestion comes from a place of great generosity and we often receive questions like this. You guys - our customers - are an amazing and generous bunch, and we are so thankful and proud of you.

The problem is, how do we choose a child? If you put yourself in the position of a parent whose child received a donation like this, how would you feel? It's simpler if schools identify children who might benefit, but the schools we have approached have been reluctant to get involved in this way, and have bought whole class sets instead.

Dom and I both taught in a school in Hull on an estate that has record levels of deprivation. Our experience was that, even in the most deprived families, parents will find a small amount of money if they believe something will be a help to their child. It's a bit of a weird moral maze if you gift a SATs Star to someone's child without giving the parent the opportunity to be the one who provided it.

To avoid this issue altogether, we have decided this year that any parent who wishes to make an additional donation will be invited to make a donation to Young Minds themselves. This way the charity benefits and it's entirely transparent where the additional donations go to and how they are used by the charity.

If you wish to make an additional donation, you can find a link here:

https://youngminds.org.uk/donate/

Finally - don't forget to tag us in your social media pictures of your children with their SATs Stars, so we can give them a shout out on the day and wish them well! On Insta / Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest we are @mrsbeesemporium and #SATSstars

Wishing you - and your children - the very best of luck for the test season!

Much Love,

Could you be our newest Brand Rep?

If you are interested in becoming a Brand Rep, we'd love to learn a little more about you. We are always looking for people who love Mrs Bee's Emporium who have popular social media accounts to represent us. You need to be able to take a decent photograph, and be able to spread your enthusiasm for the brand to your followers. We don't look for a minimum number of followers (although it would be rare we'd work with someone with fewer than 1,000), we're far more interested in your personality, your passions and your outlook on life.

If you want to join the Mrs Bee family as a Brand Rep, please read the Ts and Cs below, and, if you're still keen, please drop us an email to brandreps@mrsbeesemporium.co.uk and answer the following questions:

1. Your name and background
2. The reasons you want to become a brand rep
3. Links to your social media accounts
4. Have you ever been a brand rep for other companies? If so, who?
5. Your favourite picture

We try to give a response within a week.

Take care,

Brand Rep Terms and Conditions

By becoming a Mrs Bee’s Emporium Rep you agree to the Terms & Conditions below:

The contract period

The Brand Rep will be contracted for a period of 4 months. If things work out for both we will extend for a longer period of time.

What does it mean to be a Brand Rep?

• Having a public and very active Instagram account.
• Taking photographs of our product in your home setting. We don't mind indoor or outdoor photographs, close ups or long shots, with or without your friends and family. Photos must, however, be natural. We love creative, fun, colourful, smiley photographs that reflect our brand well. We will then share these photos over our social media and in our marketing campaigns. We will be looking for 5 to 10 pictures per product that you receive from us.
• You will send us, by email or shared drive, unwatermarked photos. We need good quality, clear and bright photos.
• You must show your genuine love, support, and enthusiasm for our products and brand. You will demonstrate this through your photographs and comments on Instagram and other social media.
• You will promote our brand on your social media accounts through your photography of our products in use (Instagram: @mrsbeesemporium, Facebook: @mrsbeesemporium, Pinterest: mrsbeesemporium, Twitter: @mrsbeesemporium) and in general.
• You will regularly actively search #mrsbeesemporium and associated hashtags.
• You will promote and share any or all company announcements such as promotions, contests, launches, sales and events.
• You will represent our brand in public
• Mrs Bee’s Emporium has the right to use these photographs without permission each time on our social media accounts. We will, of course, credit you with a link to your social media account.

What The Brand Rep Gets In Return

• We will send you one free item with each order you place with us. You will required to place one order per month (you may purchase in bulk with multiple items to spread over a 2 month period.)
• You will get an exclusive 30% off discount code to be used for the duration of your Rep term by you only to buy gifts for yourself and your immediate family members and close friends.
• A 15% off discount code for family and friends for the duration of the term.
• We will ship your order as Expedited (next day shipping)
• You will receive insider updates on Mrs Bee’s Emporium news & releases
• Lots of love, support, and appreciation
• You will be credited in images we use in our social media
• You will receive exposure on Mrs Bee’s social media

End Contract

We have the right to withdraw the brand rep from the contract at anytime, if we find you are not abiding to all the terms and conditions or are otherwise bringing the brand into disrepute.

January 2019 - A New Hope

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

There is something about the way 2018 ended, that has left me with the feeling that a new era is starting for me. I am almost 45, so not ancient or that young really, but a nice round number that certainly denotes I am, at best, somewhere around the middle of my life. That the time left is a precious resource that is starting to run out.

I lost a much loved Aunty towards the end of 2018. I feel weird for saying 'much loved' because actually, I hadn't really been present in her life in a meaningful way for years, and now I regret that deeply. I did love her though. She symbolised something for me - a certain kind irreverence, a difference from my parents, love, colour, fun. I had always told myself the story that once my Dad (who has Parkinsons, dementia and an ASD) died, I would reconnect with this Aunty and she would help put the world back into full connectedness. But of course, I have learned the saddest way that that was just a story I told myself and therefore not real. I used it to shape my behaviour and I had made the entire Goddamn thing up.

That is a deep and uncomfortable truth.

I cannot go back and right the wrong, and tell her the role I had imagined she would play.

That got me to thinking. What else am I missing out on, because I have told myself a story about the way things are?
How else can I show up in the world?
Time is literally running out.
I don't want to live my life in a comfort zone, because I actually need to do stuff that makes a difference. Even if that involves hard emotional labour and vulnerability.
I don't want to get to the end of my life and realise I have bullshitted myself, or at least kept myself in a comfy emotional cocoon.
Even if it's uncomfortable, I want to do the best I can.

 At her funeral, the celebrant said my Aunty wanted to be remembered through the following sentence: that the love of power could be changed into the power of love.

WOW.
RIGHT IN THE FACE.
I still can't say that out loud without tears.

 You know what though? I missed my chance.

But - ...over the six months prior to her death, I became really close with her daughter - and closer too with my only brother. It kind of feels like we have a new sister. That's an incredible gift. It's love and laughter and connection and acceptance and every single day, even if it's just a silly meme or something that happened at work, or an eye roll - it's magic.

On the evening of the funeral, we went out for dinner with our cousin and our Uncle - our Aunty's husband of many, many years- and he somehow created space to acknowledge the sore spot - the things I did not do and the ways I could have been better over time - and he found a way to open a new pathway to the future, without hours of 'he said she said' that would really only have diminished us all. It was an incredible gift. I don't know if he realises the power of what he did.

Then, a few days later, it was Christmas.
We did nothing but relax and hang out as a family, and it was utterly, UTTERLY brilliant. We're renovating our house so have no kitchen. We'd planned to just eat cheese, to be honest, but a neighbour got up and cooked us Christmas dinner. She didn't just make extra - she got up and made specifically for us, and her work partner bought - Christmas dinner with all the trimmings - just for us. What an incredible gift! I want to post how that made me feel, but it's hard to put into words. Grateful seems too small. So does loved - it was a profound kindness and one I will never forget. It made me cry.

Dom and I talked at length about how we could say thank you. A bunch of flowers just doesn't cut that kind of kindness. In the end, we decided the best way we could express our thanks was to pay it forward - so all 4 of us spent time on Christmas Eve afternoon helping at a Hull soup kitchen. We handed out clothing donations, trying to match the item with the need of the homeless person. It was the most wonderful way to spend Christmas Eve, and we all want to do more of that in the future.

I've also been reading Seth Godin, and Brenee Brown, amongst others. I'm in a good place. Optimistic. Wanting to get on with things. I'm older, and I like the person I am becoming. I don't care nearly as much about what other people think. The future feels exciting. Yes, I will balls up every day in a million small ways - but also I really know that nothing is perfect, ever. That's no reason not to do it.

Let's see what we can write on the blank book that is 2019.

Much love,

Christmas Trend Guide 2018

‘Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.’

Eleanor Roosevelt

So with Black Friday almost over, Christmas is well on its way. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing depends very much on your opinion of Christmas. Here at Mrs Bee’s Emporium we love it, but we know not everyone shares our love of the festive season.

Whatever your thoughts on Christmas, the chances are that you’ll be thinking about gifts for your loved ones. Just like everything else, Christmas has its trends and fashions. It’s the same when it comes to gifts. You’re probably aware that there’s always a ‘must-have’ toy, where normally rational people get completely carried away in the fervour of finding one for their offspring. But you might not be aware that it’s the same for adults too. So what can you expect to be big this year?

Comedy clothes

Yes, comedy clothes. Whether it’s dodgy Christmas jumpers, rude messages or funny undies, if they’ve got a sense of humour, they’ll love a bit of comedy clothing. At Mrs Bee’s Emporium, we carry a wide range of personalisable clothes that are sure to make your loved ones laugh.

The other big clothing trend? Family pyjamas. Why wouldn’t you want to match your partner, kids, and even parents when it comes to bedtime? Matching pyjamas make a great Christmas Eve box addition, to get all snuggly and warm as you wait for the Big Man to arrive.

Puns galore

Christmas is getting cerebral with this year’s love of puns (punes if you’re a Terry Pratchett fan), or play on words. Why not combine your comedy clothing with a good joke, and even some personalisation? Which is another big trend this year.

Personalised gifts

Did personalisation ever go out of fashion? Well, it’s definitely in fashion this year. Whether it’s a named stocking to hang over fireplace, a family portrait cushion, or a bauble commemorating baby’s first Christmas, personalisation is a big trend.

The biggest trend in personalisation in 2018 is having someone’s handwriting inscribed on an item. Perhaps you want to remember your three year old’s attempts at writing their name, or have a much loved departed family member who you want to memorialize. A handwritten gift is perfect in both scenarios.

Is your little one growing up too fast? Then why not have some of their favourite clothes made into a soft toy? It’s a lovely way to remind yourself of how little and cute they were, especially when they hit their teenage years!

Embroidered items

Following on from the personalisation theme, does anything say homely charm like an embroidered item? Cushions and pillows, clothes, and even pictures are all perfect for being embroidered with a personal message. Combine this trend with personalisation, by having one of your children’s drawings memorialised on a cushion for you to enjoy for years to come.  

Hygge

Ok, you may not have heard of it but hygge (pronounced ‘hue-guh’) is a Danish word that sums up what Christmas should be about perfectly. It means a feeling or moment of special charm and cosiness. Hygge gifts are things that help engender that feeling, such as softly glowing candles, snuggly knitwear, and self care kits. Anything really that feels like a treat for the soul. This year whites and neutrals are particularly cool in the hygge market.

Warm metallics

While neutrals might be the trend in hygge, rose gold and copper are the trend when it comes to metallics. They’ve been fashionable for a while, and it doesn’t look like they’re going away anytime soon. With their warm colouring and soft glow, rose gold and copper shades are perfect for bringing a touch of luxury to someone’s life.

Go retro

In direct contrast to the understated elegance of hygge and warm metallics are retro brights. Think the neon leg warmers of the eighties, or the bright tropical prints of 1950s fashion. It’s all about bright, flamboyant colours.

And it’s not just the clothing of the 1950s that’s making a comeback. So are the design and homeware trends of the day. So think pineapple and flamingos, cocktail glasses and hostess trolleys. It’s perfect for someone who harks back to the simpler days of yesteryear or loves a touch of vintage glamour.

Gin

Considered old fashioned a few years ago, gin has made a huge comeback. There’s now a wide range of gins on the market, with all sorts of flavourings, from fruit and botanical to toffee and caramel. And with gin goes tonic. Again, there’s a proliferation of tonics available, with different tastes to suit every palette. A word of warning: gin can be a very personalised taste, so it’s worth checking what someone likes if you’re planning on buying it as a gift.

Back to nature

All kind of natural items are big trends for Christmas 2018. Think all things natural. It includes woodland motifs, such as pinecones and toadstools, woodland creatures such as birds, foxes and bears, and watery lifeforms, including otters, jellyfish and narwhals. For those who prefer their nature magical, there are also fairies and mermaids.

If you prefer your nature real, then plants are another fashionable gift these year. For less green-fingered recipients, why not consider a cactus (perhaps with an appropriately personalised message)?

Another big trend in the natural world fashion is llamas. Yes, llamas. These grumpy South American dromedaries (they’re related to camels), have somehow become cute and cuddly and worthy of a place under your Christmas tree this year. No, we don’t get it either, but who are we to judge?

As Christmas 2018 approaches, there are plenty of trendy gifts to choose from, meaning that there’s something for everyone. Which trends will you be following this year?

Personalised aluminium Polaroid style Christmas tree signs
was £9.99, now £7.99

Funny Undies

Were £14.99, now £11.99

Embroidered Gifts From £9.59

SATs Stars 2018 - How To Get Your Hands on One

So, as we explained in this blog post we have just moved house and our home and studio is a building site:

This has had a significant impact on how we can operate our SATs Star Project this year. On the one hand, we want to support as many children as possible. On the other, we don't want to promise what we can't deliver and leave people disappointed, that would be awful.

After much head scratching some mentoring and lots of talking it over, we have bad news and good about how we plan to move forwards with the SATs Star Project in 2018:

The Bad News:

I will get this out of the way first. Unfortunately we are not in a position to sell any SATs plush stars in the way that we did in prior years. We do intend to do it again in 2019, and I know this will be disappointing to some whose children will miss out this year. However, we do not have the facility at this very moment to get these reliably made, and it would be unfair for us to promise it. It's very important to us that we keep our word. Rather than let people down at a stressful time, we decided it was better so say we would not make any plush stars this year.

The Good News:

We are offering two different solutions for those of you who wish to send love and luck to the children taking their SATs in 2018.

1) We are selling a boblet wristband, with a typed, personalised letter of good luck for each child. There are 6 designs to choose from:

You Are A Super Star

An Angel Feather For Good Luck Boblet

You're a Legend Mermaid Boblet

Playing To Win - Pac Man

You Are A Super Hero

You Are A Magical Unicorn

These cost £4 each, with free shipping, and can be bought from our Etsy Shop:
www.mrsbeesemporium.etsy.com 

OR our Amazon shop, for those of you who prefer Amazon:
www.bit.ly/MRSBEE

2) The other option is that you make your own SATs Star plush. We have written a tutorial, a pattern and guidance for writing a good letter of encouragement. This can be instantly downloaded from our Etsy shop. We are happy to provide online support, if you need it.

Download The SATs Star Pattern and Tutorial Here

(unfortunately we can sell the instant pattern via Amazon at this time)

The SATs Star Project is a not-for-profit project and we will donate 20% of all income from it to Young Minds, the children's mental health charity.

I hope you understand our decision this year, and we hope to be able to support as many young people as we can through this years SATs. We love writing the letters!

With love,

PS: Sign up to the email newsletter for 10% off! http://bit.ly/MBEnews  

SATs Stars 2018 - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, do you know how loved you are?

Of all the things Dom and I have achieved since we were made redundant from teaching (same month, totally out of the blue) the SATs Stars project is one of which I am most proud. If you have time you can see the whole story here: http://mrsbeesemporium.blogspot.co.uk/2016/

(link:) What ARE SATs Stars?

Essentially, as ex Teachers, Senior Leaders in secondary schools and Governors in a primary school, Dom and I were well placed to see how unfair and unpopular the SATs tests are with teachers, parents and, most importantly, children. Shit runs downhill, as they say - right from the government to your individual child. There are an awful lot of young children who are feeling under incredible pressure right now, and that sucks - teacher's too, whose success is judged on these results and which affect an entire school career, no exceptions made. It is the antithesis of what we, personally, believe a good education should be. We wanted to support our core customer base as they navigated this difficult time. We are not anti assessment, but there are far better, and less damaging ways to collect information about a child's progress.

The SATs Stars were never intended to be a money making venture for us (we started Mrs Bee's Emporium to be able to survive financially and thrive emotionally in our sudden post-teaching world - we have 3 kids of our own, too. It's been a bit up and down at times, I won't lie, it's not as secure as teaching, but we are happy to have left the profession as it currently is.)

We invested as much money as we could afford as a family in the SATs Star Project and gave away free hand sized star plushes, with a handwritten letter of encouragement, to as many children as we could. We simply asked parents to cover the cost of postage - we paid for the materials and labour. We also asked nicely if they would sign up to our email newsletter (and, hopefully, think of us when they were buying teacher gifts at the end of term, you know how these things work, but there is/was no obligation whatsoever...)

We were INUNDATED. Like, we both got RSI. We loved it - we cried tears of sadness and joy as we read the stories of stress and concern, and we loved all the photos we received - we sent letters of encouragement to teachers, and we even had PTAs buy whole class sets for year 6 leavers. It's been an absolute joy.


We did the same thing again last year, but tweaked it a bit. We upgraded the letters and sold the plush stars, and gave away wrist bands, again with a letter of encouragement. We needed to find a way to cover our costs financially (again, we're not aiming to make a profit with SATs stars) so we gave away 200 and sold the rest. Again, we were inundated. It was brilliant and we loved it. So much joy.

I hope these faces show you why. A little good luck trinket to take with you, in your pocket or on your wrist, to remind you of the letter that explains, very clearly, why you individually are awesome, and why your value cannot be measured by tests alone. The letters are a-political, supportive of schools and teachers and focused very much on the achievements of the child, that the parent tells us about behind the scenes. Exam cheerleading, if you will.

I have had several requests via social media about SATs Stars this year. However, we're in a tricky position.

1) We have just moved house, therefore:
2) We only had the internet installed yesterday (FOUR WEEKS! I ask you! But that's another story...) so the shops have been offline for a month
3) The house and studio is a renovation project. It's damp. We've had a new damp course fitted so we've had floors up, walls down, plaster stripped from all the walls downstairs - nightmare.
4) Our machines are all in storage
5) Our stuff is split between here and a container, 15 miles away.
6) I am on day 3 of norovirus. Bleurgh.

This is a long blog post, and I hope the photos will help you to see our position.

We don't want to let this year's children down!

WE ARE ON IT! None of the above is insurmountable, it will just take us a bit of time to sort. Bad timing (we agreed the house sale and purchase on Halloween, so it's just how the housing market goes...)

***There WILL be SATs Stars this year, but they will be seriously limited in number***

We are trying to find ways to support this year's SATs stars, cover our costs (which you know, I'm a bit embarrassed about to keep harping on about, but we're one family of 5 and there is a cost to this sort of thing, and we do have to think about where the money comes from.)

We do, however, wish to support as many of this year's year 2 and 6 children as we possibly can.

Bear with us. I hope to have some tangible things to show you in the next day or two. It might be a tad different to the past 2 years, and I hope that is OK with you. I'm sorry it's cutting it tight with dates. I hope you can understand.

Thanks for reading, and much love and hugs to all of you going through this difficult time,

PS We want to reach as many SATs children - and their teachers - as possible, so please tweet, FB, Pin, Insta, share share share and use the hashtag #satsstars and #mrsbeesemporium. Thank you <3