Too Boost or Not to Boost? - Day Eight

Today I have assumed my role as professional-entrepreneur-type-person. And what a refreshing change. I love my kids, really I do. But sometimes it's just the tonic I need to get out of the house for the day and focus on my business.

I've been to a nursery trade fair in Harrogate really just to take a look around. The fair was a massive event and far bigger than anything The Cool Rule Company has exhibited at to date. But I can dream, can't I?

Silver Cross, Phil & Ted's, Trunki, Fisher Price, Tomy - all the big names were there. With eight different exhibition halls, I had quite a trek to get round the whole thing and after about five minutes I was cursing my choice of shoes. The highest heels I own were not having the desired business-like demeanour I'd imagined at seven o'clock this morning.

Anyway I was glad of my protein-rich breakfast because it saw me through to my very swanky lunch. No I did not sit making some crucial business deal over a glass of champagne and a complicated-looking sandwich in one of the exhibition centre's classy cafes (and honestly, I did see people doing just that). No, I was boosting my body thank you very much and that required a body-boosting meal which was simply not catered for in those cafes, no matter how classy they might be.

So I sat in the car with a box of Quinoa and veg. Now how glamorous is that?

Breakfast: Salmon fillet, blueberries & blackberries, Lunch: Quinoa & roasted veg, Dinner: Cod fillets with oven baked ratatouille, sugar snap peas & rocket salad

And bearing in mind I was charged £1.65(!) for a teeny tiny bottle of mineral water inside the exhibition centre, it's a small mercy that they didn't cater for my detoxing requirements.

Travelling home in the car, I chewed on a a celery stick (oh yes, I'd come prepared) to ward off any travel-related cravings. Imagine what I would have done before this detox! I would have most likely stopped at a garage for a Diet Coke, maybe some 'sucky' sweets or a couple of chocolate bars. All things I would not have any actual need for but there's just something about driving along a motorway which seems to warrant the absentminded consumption of sugary nasties.

The question that I'm dealing with now is: will I be able to keep this up? I wait with baited breath for Helen McCrea's Body Boost maintenance plan which I'm just hoping will give me further support past these ten days. We all know there's nothing wrong with indulging in your favourites now and again, but so far this detox has shown me I can break those habits I thought were unbreakable. I mean look at me now . . . I'm blogging away to my heart's content and there's not a hot chocolate with marshmallows in sight!

Your name's not down, you're not coming in

Go well,

Abi


Transform the life you share with your toddler at www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Discover the amazing talents of Helen McCrea at www.femalefitness.co

To Boost or Not To Boost?

Recently, the morning school run has become something of an anticipated event for me. Not just because Big Tot is still, thank the lord, young enough to give me goodbye smooches before he skips off to join his class queue. And not just because I get to palm him off on somebody else for the day either. I am loving the morning school run at the moment because I get to pick the brains of a very clever lady, a health and fitness guru no less.

Helen McCrea is a busy full-time mum (just like me) running her own business (just like me) and is an expert in women's health, nutrition and fitness (ok, not like me at all). We've been at a few of the same local business courses so I was kind of aware of what she was up to, but it wasn't until we got chatting at the school gates that I realised her guru-like status. This woman really knows her stuff. Forget your faddy diets and health-fuelled media frenzies . . . Helen helps women really understand what's going on in their bodies and change their thinking about nutrition forever.

The lady herself

Now I know I'm not really overweight, and I'm genuinely grateful for a fully functioning, healthy body. But we've all got our hang-ups, right? And it is widely known that I am more than partial to a custard cream. And that my best mates (who take up permanent residence in the freezer) are named Ben and Jerry.

And, like the rest of us, I am guilty of choosing the 'low-fat', 'fat-free' or 'no added sugar' options at the supermarket without really knowing what, exactly, they've replaced the fat or sugar with. Lord knows what I'm putting my body through under the guise of a 'healthy' option.

So with the intention of learning more about what my body really needs, and maybe having a crack at losing some of the jelly belly, I've gone and signed up to Helen's online ten day body boost programme. It's educational. It's physical, It's communal. It's got 100% success rates. Get in.

Helen's successful business

I figure, it's only ten days. Ten days of eating nothing but 'clean' food. Of learning why oh why I get insane sugar cravings. Of giving Ben and Jerry the silent treatment. I can do it, can't I? (Insert your own cooing, encouraging phrase here please . . . )

There may be a couple of complications along the way in the form of my undeniable faddiness (vegetarian, allergic to cheese, will eat fish but not seafood) and my medically-certified dodgy knees with complicated baby-related ligament damage. Factor in my daily commitments as super-mummy to demanding Tots, full-on housewife and crazed Mumpreneur and Helen McCrea just may have her work cut out for her.

Goodbye faithful friend

So tonight, the night before my ten day Body Boost programme commences, I am raising a spoon of Cookie Dough in a pledge to write a daily blog about my experiences. Now are you in or are you out?

Let's see . . .

Go well,

Abi


Find out all about what Helen offers at www.femalefitness.co

Transform the life you share with your toddler and start happy living today with www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

My Radio Story

I've been feeling rather keyed up recently because coming soon in the Cool Rule social calendar is The North East Baby & Toddler Show. Now there's nothing I love more than having a chance to rave about the Cool Rule range. It's fab to show parents, grandparents, childminders and carers how the Cool Rule Book and all the other fab Cool Rule products can transform the life they share with their toddler.

Looking forward to it!

So imagine my glee when I was asked by the organisers of the Baby & Toddler Show to go on BBC Radio Newcastle to further rave about The Cool Rule Company. And the glee was cranked up a notch when my good friend Maxine was also invited to join in to chat about her party-in-a-box business, Life's A Celebration. And that meant we could both plug our brand new joint venture, Moment Makers, a fabulous new at-home party experience for mums. Triple whammy or what?!

So for several days of blissful smugness, Maxine and I agreed that we shouldn't overthink it. Surely our natural enthusiasm would steer us into the direction of making radio art. This was, after all, only a few moments of recorded interview and would be edited and polished to perfection by the BBC's experts.

And that's when I got the call from the girls at The North East Baby & Toddler Show. "Erm, Abi, we've just found out you're going to be live on air. The Jonathan Miles Show. And it'll be a ten-minute interview tying into Mother's Day and International Women's Day. That's ok, isn't it?"

Of course I agreed that it was. That I wasn't at all phased by the change. That I knew all about talking into microphones and speaking eloquently and making an instant, meaningful connection with a radio audience. Of course it was ok.

So Maxine and I made good use of our time. Key messages were practiced and confirmed. Notes were avidly written. Radio voices were tried out. Panic was formed but quickly squished by messages of good luck from our friends, family and customers. It was all going to be alright. Big deep breath now. It was all going to be alright.

We arrived mega-promptly in the morning. Forty two minutes early to be exact. And the receptionist behind the rather magestic BBC desk directed us up to the canteen and assured us somebody would come and collect us for our interview. There was plenty of time for the supping of coffee and the re-checking of our notes.

Time well spent

Well, long after our coffees had been supped we started to wonder when someone was going to whisk us off to our interview. Surely we should be expertly surfing radio waves by now. We took it upon ourselves to go back to the reception desk and enquire.

As soon as the receptionist rang through to the correct department, a very harassed looking lady burst through a random door and shouted "Abi! We need you now!"

Maxine and I struggled through an intricate silver turnstile (which I considered hurdling over in the drama of the moment) and then raced down a corridor after the harassed looking lady who was jabbering away about some mix-up and a change in receptionists and how the girls from the Baby & Toddler show had been filling in for me. Filling in for me? Just how late were we?

Next thing we knew we were (silently) bursting into the Jonathan Miles studio. Now this was not the entrance we had envisaged. No jovial introductions, no explanations of the technical workings of the place. Nope. Just Jonathan Miles asking one of those poor girls from the Baby & Toddler show just why, exactly, women should continue to be internationally celebrated each year (oh lordy), as Maxine and I waited to be integrated into the whole experience.

And so the integration began. Mr Miles seemed rather intrigued by the whole naughty spot thing which was not really, as I recall, in my notes but I went with it anyway (I felt like putting him on a naughty spot for not coming to collect us from the canteen). And I did manage to squeeze in some info about The Cool Rule Book and how it's helping families across the nation. And then it was cue Maxine and her few seconds of fame.

Watch out Jonathan Miles!

I reckon Maxine and I did the best we could with the few seconds we were given and when I listen back to it, I marvel at how solid our voices sound considering we'd just done a full-on panic-sprint down an unnecessarily long BBC corridor.

Maybe we didn't get to chat about all the things we'd hoped to, but at least we'll have fun recounting how the mighty institution of the BBC was able to lose us in its very own building.

Have fun, go well,

Abi




The North East Baby & Toddler Show is at Newcastle Falcons, Kingston Park on Saturday 16th March from 10am - 4.30pm. Check it out and book your tickets now!
www.northeastbabyandtoddlershow.co.uk

Click on the iPlayer link below to hear us on the radio (available until 15th March 2013). Scroll along to approx 1hr 22mins to hear the point where we burst into the studio!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0151ld1

Find out why the Cool Rule Book and the whole Cool Rule range is sweeping the nation at:
www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Find out how Maxine can help you with every party you'll ever have at:
www.lifesacelebration.co.uk 

Discover Moment Makers, the fantastic new at-home party experience for Mums at:
www.facebook.com/momentmakers or www.makethosemoments.blogspot.co.uk

Olympic-Stylee

It's here folks. It's finally here. No, no, not the Olympics. You may think Michelle Obama is travelling to the UK for this Friday's opening ceremony. And she may think so too, but she hasn't yet heard about The Cool Rule Company and when she does she might just rethink her schedule.

I mean the build-up's been second to none. A whole year of dramatic events. Let's take a re-cap:

• Highly-strung three-year old (Big Tot) spins his tantrums into whole new orbit when his baby brother (Little Tot) comes along

• In a final act of desperation the exhausted, exasperated parents involve Big Tot in making a scrapbook of rules, consequences and photos of his world

• Said scrapbook adapts nickname of 'The Cool Rule Book' and becomes Big Tot's favourite thing (apart from Super Mario)

• Exhausted, exasperated parents become slightly less so

• Said scrapbook becomes aid to celebrate everything Big Tot can do well and a tool to help him learn what else is expected of him

• Said scrapbook attracts 'oohs' and 'aahs' from other equally exhausted parents

• Feeling all entrepreneurial, slightly-less-exhausted-mum shamelessly wrings dry all of the business support offered by local enterprise agency

• Wringing-dry of babysitting favours also occurs

• Blogging begins

• Business planning begins

• Slightly-less-exhausted-mum creates prototypes for other tots and runs a trial across the country

• Highly dramatised logo saga begins

• Trial gets outstanding results and indicates slightly-less-exhausted-mum should really take this idea to market

• Business planning nearly kills slightly-less-exhausted-mum (who is now exhausted again)

• Highly dramatised logo saga ends with very cool logo (energy restored)

• Overdraft is feeling the strain but slightly-less-exhausted-mum ignores it

• Business planning finished

• Website launched to the world

• Celebratory hot chocolate / wine / anything consumable to hand

And there we have it. The Cool Rule Company is officially up and running (Olympic-stylee) and ready for business.

The Cool Rule Book is my first flagship product. It is a gorgeous, glossy little book and it can transform the life you lead with your toddler. Honestly. It's that good.

It includes twenty-seven rules written with love and humour as well as spaces for your own personal rules. When you add photos of things your child will recognise, it becomes all the more meaningful. The categories cover all aspects of a child's life before school and are followed up by spaces for your own consequences of what happens when your child follows or breaks the rules.

The website tells you loads more (www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk) and you can have a wee peep at some of the pages. It comes as a Standard Pack (with a special guide for the parents to get the most out of the book) or as a Bumper Pack (with the special guide as well as everything else you need to get started).

May I say you've been most patient over the last few months, as I have point-blank refused to reveal what my business venture has been all about. But now you know. And I hope you keep up with the Cool Rule Antics as they develop. And develop they will my friends. Develop they will.

Go Well,

Abi

Bring on the Whys

I'm finally there. I thought I might have bypassed it. I thought I might have tiptoed quietly enough past it. I thought that perhaps, with a focused, concentrated, maniacal determination I might have defied the very thing that all other parents in the history of parenting have been unable to defy. I thought I might have escaped that infamous, infantile stage of  . . . "Why?".

And, ironically, I ask myself why? Why did I think I might get away without having to answer all of the questions my child might have about the world? And more importantly, why would I want to?

To be honest, I thought Big Tot was so fascinated and consumed in his own existence that asking why wouldn't ever occur to him. He rules the world you see. Oh, didn't you know? Yes, my son is in charge of everything. From what direction we should be walking down the street to which colour spoon he (and everyone else) should eat their yoghurt with. He seems so sure of his position as Almighty Ruler and King of the Cosmos that I couldn't imagine him asking how something works or - God forbid - for somebody else's opinion.

But nope. Today he has wanted to know why over and over again. (NB: This is a heavily edited version of events)

Why No. 1
Why are men coming to our house today? Why do they need to put special material in the loft? Why does the house need to be warm? Why is it one of our needs as a human being?

Why No. 2
Why should I eat all my lunch? Why do I need to be strong? Why do I need to be a big man? Why do I need to live a long, happy life?

Why No. 3
Why was it mini-olympics at nursery today? Why did I do really well? Why did we all get medals? Why do we need to feel special?

Why No. 4 (my personal favourite)
Why are you coming in the bathroom? Why do you need to wipe my bottom? Why did I only need two wipes when I've done such a big poo poo?

The parenting experts tell us toddlers ask why because their minds are expanding quickly, they're starting to understand cause and effect, and want to engage you in conversation. That's all fantastic stuff. They also recommend that you note down their more challenging questions and go and research the answer together. So does that mean that after the toilet incident we should have dashed to the laptop and Googled 'Two Wipe Poos'?

Maybe not. I must admit though, I do love this stage. It can be tedious and sometimes exhausting. But it can also be energising, fascinating and massively amusing. Who else, other than your own child, could take you through all of those feelings in one day? In one hour? Or sometimes in just a few minutes?

Who else could ask me, just the other day with eyes as big as saucers, as blue and clear as a spring sky, "Why are you taking me to a Mummies' Business Club? Why are you being a Tronapenur?"?

So in my head I'm saying this: "Why? So I can safely pop you into the conveniently provided toddler play session, have a chat with other entrepreneurs who are mums, network, share ideas, progress my business, discover new avenues (not to mention have a cup of tea in peace) whilst taking steps towards building a successful, international, web-based business which will potentially finance an overseas property and secure the future of you and your brother as well as your dad's and my retirement."

In real life I'm saying this: "Why? Because there are cakes there. Because being a Tronapenur is fun." Oh lordy. What would the parenting experts say?


Oh who bloody cares? Big Tot and I are having fun with this one. Bring on the whys, that's what I say. My answers aren't always sensible or even credible. Sometimes I turn the why round on him and get the most amazing answers which inevitably lift my day and my spirit (e.g. "because that's why my poo poo was a clean one because Spongebob Squarepants was in my belly and cleaned it first. That's why.").

My hubby and I are getting into it too. We've had late-night philosophical discussions about why asking why is so controversial, so fascinating, such a potentially enlightening thing to do. Think about your average conversation. How much would it change if you asked 'why'? How much more would you find about the person you're engaging with and how would it change their view of you?

Of course, it's probably best done with a smile on your face and a genuinely interested tone. Try to avoid looks of disgust and incredulous gasps if you can. Don't take your cue from a toddler here. A whining 'why?' does not invite an interesting answer from anyone. Including a parent.

And I'm fully aware the whys will get more challenging. More difficult. And perhaps sometimes upsetting for Big Tot. But I'm armed with an open mind and a full heart and I will do my best to answer him. And failing that, I've always got the other Mummy Tronapenurs to give me their expert advice over a cake and a cuppa.

Go well everyone (and don't forget to sometimes ask 'why?')

Abi


Anyone interested in the 'Mumpreneur' sessions, based at Steel House in Consett, call Anne or Gillian on 01207 585802 or visit www.dida.co.uk