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

Where did Black Friday come from?

‘A bargain is something you can't use at a price you can't resist.’ Franklin P. Jones

Who doesn’t love a bargain? We certainly do here at Mrs Bee’s. When you get what you want at a knockdown price, what’s not to love? That’s why, traditionally, you’d find people camping outside their favourite shops in the early hours of Boxing Day, ready for the post-Christmas sale to begin. In recent years, though, the sales have started before Christmas, most notably Black Friday.

What’s this Black Friday malarkey?

Black Friday comes from the States, and is the Friday after Thanksgiving, which occurs on the fourth Thursday of November. This year, Black Friday falls on next Friday, the 24 November.

While Black followed by a day is usually a reminder of a financial crisis, in this case it’s actually a good thing. It supposedly marks the day that retailers finally go ‘into the black’, that is, make a profit for the year, and is attributed to shoppers stuffed full of Thanksgiving turkey hitting the shops to grab a bargain. With the rise of US-based retailers, such as Amazon, in the UK, the idea has spread across the Atlantic. It’s become so much of a new tradition that sales on Black Friday now outstrip those on Boxing Day.

Hang on, isn’t that the day where shoppers go insane and start wrestling over TVs?

Erm, well, yes. But don’t let that put you off. Many online retailers also participate in Black Friday, and bargains can be bagged without leaving the comfort of your pyjamas. Even many bricks and mortar retailers offer the same discounts through their websites now. So no need to sign up for taekwondo classes just yet (unless you want to, of course).

So what’s up for grabs?

We don’t know yet, but a number of retailers have already said that they’re taking part. These include John Lewis, ASOS, Mothercare, eBay, Groupon, Currys PC World, Game, B&Q, the Disney Store, and even Harrods - and, of course - we are at Mrs Bee's Emporium, with our highest ever discount of 25% off (pretty good for handmade, if I do say so myself).

Ok, what do I need to do to bag myself a bargain?

Making the most of Black Friday requires a little forethought and planning. Here are some tips to help you out:

• Make a list of the products you actually want to buy, and stick to it. Panic buying could leave you wondering what the hell you were thinking.
• Research the products beforehand. On top of checking reviews and expert opinions, also make a note of what the average price is normally so you’re not sucked into a ‘deal’ that isn’t actually a deal.
• Set a budget, and stick to it. It’s not a bargain if you find yourself in debt or regretting your purchase.
• Sign up to the websites you’re interested in beforehand, and opt in to receive their marketing emails. While we know that such newsletters can often be annoying, in the run up to Black Friday, retailers will be promoting their offers and latest deals, giving you a good heads-up.
• Bookmark the web pages of the products you want in advance so you’re not having to search when time is short. If more than one retailer has the same product, create a favourites folder for it, then click ‘open all bookmarks’ for instant comparison.
• Fill your basket in advance. Offers will be limited, and it’s quicker to delete an item that you decide you don’t want from that retailer, than add it as you browse.
• Stay up late and get in early. Black Friday starts at midnight, and the best deals will be snapped up rapidly by determined shoppers. Get burning that midnight oil!
• Keep calm, hold your nerve, stay strong. Don’t panic buy. This will only lead to regret.
• Be aware of added costs, such as postage. These can really bump up the cost (and it's why we offer free UK shipping at Mrs Bee's!) Try to check delivery costs beforehand and, wherever possible, find a retailer who offers free postage and packaging.
• Check out cashback sites, such as TopCashBack, to see if you can save even more by going through their site. This will require you to click through their site, so you will need to get online earlier to make sure you have time.
• Don’t fret if you miss out - there’s always Cyber Monday.

Cyber Monday? Should I be scared?

Ok, so Cyber Monday might sound like an invasion of humans turned into robots a la Dr Who but, again, it’s a good thing. Honestly. It’s the Monday after Black Friday, so 27 November this year. While Black Friday dates back to the 1950s, Cyber Monday first came about in the early 2000s, when online shopping was less popular, and online retailers wanted a slice of the sales action. As the name suggests, Cyber Monday deals are all online.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cyber Monday deals tend to be focused on electronics and technology, although there are also discounted flights and other reduced price items available for the canny shopper. Just as with Black Friday, do your preparation and stick to the same rules.

Got all that? Then happy bargain hunting!

Why don't you check in to the Organising Christmas Facebook group and show us what you bagged?

Happy shopping,

40% off tshirts and  20% off everything
at 

Mrs Bee's Emporium

Including...

All Christmas stuff

Gingers...

Teacher Gifts

Become the Teacher’s Pet - Great Gifts for Great Teachers

‘Summer vacation is the time when parents realise that teachers are grossly underpaid.’ Author unknown

Christmas is coming and, with it, yet another school holiday. Yes, we’re overjoyed too. As much as we love our kids, the school holidays are when we learn to really appreciate teachers and teaching assistants, and all that they do. It’s not surprising, therefore, that in this festive season, so many of us want to bestow a token of our gratitude for keeping our kids out of trouble and gainfully occupied for six hours a day.

So the question arises: what to get our children’s educators? Should you go traditional, crafty, or useful? Chocolate, alcohol and bubble bath are the standard gifts, and are generally popular. After all, after looking after 25 or more kids all day, who doesn’t need a drink, a sugar rush, and a good soak in the bath?

But perhaps you want to give a more lasting or more personal gift, but are stuck for ideas. You may well have a limited budget too - and with classes usually having at least one teaching assistant as well as the teacher, the cost of showing your appreciation can soon add up. At Mrs Bee’s, we understand the challenge well, so we asked some of our lovely customers for their ideas. These are some of the suggestions that they came up with.  

Get crafty

Ok, so we know not everyone likes making things as much as we do at Mrs Bee’s, but nothing conveys your appreciation like a homemade gift. Perhaps you’re a master at baking, or fancy turning your hand to chocolate truffles or creamy fudge. If you’re a knitter or crocheter, how about a woolly hat and scarf for those chilly playground duties?

Alternatively, a hand-crafted gift from your little- or not-so-little one will warm the cockles of their teacher’s heart. Christmas decorations such as salt-dough stars, or air-dry clay pencil pots, don’t need to be complicated, but will be a lasting reminder of your little cherub long after they have moved onwards and upwards.

Stationery

It’s fair to say that many teachers looooooove stationery. Both Dom and I were teachers, and we happily hoard stashes of stationery. Yes, perhaps we should get out more! But, as teachers, we know the value of stationery supplies. Putting together a personalised stationery set doesn’t need to be expensive, but will be appreciated. Find a small trinket box tin, or a pencil case, and fill with rubbers, pencil sharpeners, pretty paper clips and drawing pins, and little sticky notes.

Survival kits

Kids are germ factories. There’s no denying it. Especially when they’re little and have no concept of any kind of hygiene. While teachers do develop almost super-human immune systems, they do still catch the odd illness, especially in winter. A winter bug survival kit is a must-have. Simply fill a small bag with tissues, hand sanitiser, cold and flu capsules, and throat sweets for a gift that will soon come into its own. Why not put it in one of our cute personalised teacher bags?

Personalised teacher bags - can also be adapted for nursery workers and TAs

Bags

Teachers carry stuff. A lot of stuff, just in case you haven’t noticed. Make their life easier with a new bag. Tote bags are an inexpensive but very useful gift for overloaded teachers. They’re also available in a whole range of designs, so finding one that relates to their subject or interests shouldn’t be too difficult.

Teacher Bags - £12.50

Vouchers

Vouchers might seem an odd choice, but they allow teachers and teaching assistants to treat themselves guilt-free. All kinds of businesses sell vouchers now, and ones for Costa (or other well-known coffee shop chains), restaurants, the theatre, or book tokens are all popular choices.

Special interest

Perhaps your children’s teacher is known to have a special interest. For example, we know of a teacher called Mr Elmer. He has a collection of Elmer the Elephant goodies, and is always pleased to have an addition to his collection. Play detective and ask your kids, or other parents or teachers if they know of any particular interests that you could buy for.

Personalised teacher coasters - £5.50

Personalised gifts

Personalised gifts really show that you’ve thought about the recipient. At Mrs Bee’s, we specialise in items that are both personal and practical. Our range includes mugs, coasters, water bottles, lanyards, pencil cases and much, much more. There’s sure to be something that they’d love. We probably wouldn’t recommend one of our sweary-bears though!

Always handy - classroom water bottles - you choose the wording. £14.80

Don’t forget support staff

While teachers obviously do an important job, without support staff schools would simply not function. Whether they’re ‘The Office’, librarians, site managers, or reading volunteers, they’re the grease that keep the school wheels running smoothly. Sadly, they rarely get the appreciation they deserve. Make sure they’re not left out this year. Chocolates or biscuits are one possibility, but perhaps a basket of exotic fruit would make a nice change. Other ideas include a set of mugs, nice tea and coffee, or customised pens or pencils.

Mugs for super hero Teaching Assistants - £12.50

We’d like to thank to our lovely customers who shared their ideas for perfect teacher Christmas gifts. Remember, if you’re looking for something unique, you can check out teacher gifts at Mrs Bee’s Emporium’s Etsy page. Happy shopping!

Personalised Lanyards - £14.80

With love,

Custom glitter pencil case or make up bag - £17.10

Perfect Presents for Lovely Ladies

‘Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping.’ Bo Derek

Even though Christmas is still a couple of months away, chances are that you’re already thinking about what presents to buy. We all want to get it right and delight the ladies in our lives, so most of us ask what’s on their Christmas wish list. However, you probably have at least one woman who, no matter how many times you ask, has no idea what they want, or at least refuse to say. We know how frustrating that is.

When this happens, it’s all too easy to opt for the obvious girly gifts, such as chocolates, toiletries, scarves, or vouchers. But, the truth is, you would probably prefer to get them something they really love, even if they didn’t know (or wouldn’t say) that they wanted it. This might seem impossible but, believe it or not, with some groundwork, you might just achieve it.

Don’t make assumptions

Ok, this is a big one, so it’s coming first. Do not assume that a woman must be into something just because she happens to be female, or has reached a certain age in her life. Gifting anti-ageing products, lavender soap, or everyday items that happen to be pink (hammer anyone?), is a sure way to disappoint, or even offend.

Equally, don’t assume that because Auntie May likes something, her twin Auntie June will do too. And, unless specifically asked for, anything relating to housework or DIY is really not a good idea if you want them to keep talking to you. So, with that being understood, let’s move on.

Find your inner Sherlock

Start looking for clues. What could you look for? Here are some ideas:

Material girl

What does your recipient like to wear? Perhaps they’re never seen without a stylish scarf, or a piece of statement jewellery. Maybe their wardrobe is stuffed with clothes with butterfly or cat prints. Get thinking about what you’ve seen them wearing, and how you could complement it.

Looking good

Ok, so we know we said that toiletries are a bit of cop-out gift, but if their bathroom is full of a particular brand of toiletries or cosmetics, then they’re a good choice, especially if they’re more of a luxury brand. Many of us ladies are loyal to a brand that suits our skin or hair, and the cost of looking good can soon add up. Many toiletry brands produce gift sets for Christmas, which can be an affordable and attractive option that will delight.

It all adds up

Do they collect something? Maybe they love penguins, Postman Pat, or Terry Pratchett (all genuine collections we’ve come across). Perhaps it’s a particular make of pottery or ornaments. Alternatively, charm bracelets have become very popular with women now. While you might need to check what items they already own, finding a special addition for their collection will be much appreciated.

Keeping busy

Hobbies are often an integral part of people’s lives, and bring a great deal of happiness. Is there something that would enhance their enjoyment of their pastime  but that they haven’t bought for themselves? Has there been a recent development in their area of interest that they might not yet own? Again, we know that we said vouchers were an easy get-out but one for a supplier or retailer of items related to their hobby shows that you have taken the time to think about what they like. Many women feel guilty about buying things for themselves, so buying this kind of voucher helps them to justify to themselves buying something they want, rather than feeling that they should spend it on their family or house. We even sell vouchers for Mrs Bee's Emporium!

A culinary treat

Perhaps there’s a particular food or drink that they love. A specialist coffee, luxury chocolates, a bottle of good quality wine, or a subscription for a regular delivery of something they love - for example cheese - are all possibilities. However, many people who have a penchant for a food or drink are often very particular about what they like and what they don’t like, and you may need to undertake a bit more detective work to make sure you get it right.

A big deal

Significant life events are another possibility. These might include a special birthday or anniversary, or an addition to the family. Alternatively, sadly, it might be the loss of someone special. Perhaps they achieved something they thought they never would, such as graduating from university or running a marathon. A personalised gift commemorating these events would help create an enduring memory, and demonstrate the time and thought you invested. Mrs Bee’s creates a whole range of personalised gifts, from cushions and mugs, through to teddies made from favourite baby clothes.

How you gonna have a dream come true?

Is there something they have always wanted to do? Ok, you probably can’t afford to pay for a holiday to Australia, but perhaps they’ve mentioned that they’d love to do a wine tasting, or drive a supercar. Experience days are an affordable way to make their dream come true.

Enlist some help

Sometimes you can’t do the detective work yourself, especially if you live some distance away. If this is the case, enlist the help of someone closer to them. Share the above list with them, and get them playing private investigator on your behalf. It might just help them out too!

Still not sure what to get? Why not ask the community over in the Organising Christmas Facebook Group? They have the low down on where the bargains are, and are great at making suggestions for gift ideas for people who are difficult to buy for. It's a bit like having a whole host of personal shoppers at your finger tips! Click here for the group (you will need a Facebook account)

Want to make sure your other half picks you something nice? Message us with a list of what you'd like from Mrs Bee's Emporium and his email address and we'll drop him some hints...

Enjoy Bonfire Night!







Gifts for women in the Etsy shop today:

Cushions for Besties

'Mums are Magical Creatures'

Mums for Mama Bears

Personalised Mirrors