Filed under: campaign
Same beginning, one line, many different stories. Seventeen UK parent bloggers took the challenge to ‘tell the story’ their way. This is our gift to the children around the world: beautiful stories with illustrations from our own kids, making it a perfect bedtime storybook.
By creating this book called ‘Once upon a time’ we are fundraising for Save the Children. The profit of all book sales will be donated to the charity.
Thank you to all parent bloggers who took part in this story book for their time, creativity and empathy! Together we made it happen!
Now it’s onto you! We are raising money for those kids, born with the challenge to survive. Let’s help them write a better story of their life, one that will make them smile!
Besides, the book is funny and colourfil, making it the perfect Christmas gift for a child. You can view and purchase the book HERE.
‘Save the Children works in more than 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential.’
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December 4, 2011
I am planning a fundraising campaign for Save the Children called ‘Tell it your way’. The plan is to publish a book with children’s bedtime stories written by creative parents that blog – in aid for the Save the Children charity.
So, we give participating bloggers same story line, which is ‘Once upon a time…’ (so we really give you the freedom to be as creative as you want) and we ask you to write a short story aimed at small kids as well as an image of a drawing you or your kids make, or simply a photo you take to support your story.
I will then collate all your unique creative stories and images, and I will be designing them into a children book (using the Blurb book-making and book-selling platform). Once the book is ready and goes life, I will share the link with you so you can buy it as a gift or for yourselves, share it, recommend it to friends, and generally spread-the-word for the campaign and the book, so we raise as much money for Save the Children, as possible. Hope you agree it’s all for a great cause, and hopefully the book will make a wonderful Christmas gift. 100% of all money raised will be sent on a monthly basis to Save the Children UK.
So, the benefit for you as a participating blogger? Apart from making good to kids born in poverty and challenged to survive, your story will also help you raise your profile and get great publicity! All bloggers will be introduced by a paragraph about the blog, your photo and link to the blog.
Here is the creative concept and how I came up with the children story book:
‘Once upon a time, I was born and challenged… challenged to survive.
I’ve got a story, which is different to yours. Although, it is similar to the million children around me, who were born with the same challenge. It’s not easy to keep on telling my story, to keep on living it.
Would you help writing a better one for me? A story of a better life.
A story with a different ending, despite having the same beginning.’
The deadline for all stories and images is 20th November, so we can make it happen in time for Christmas. However, please let me know if you are interested asap, so I can sign you in for the book.
To summarise, what I’d need from you is:
- Creative children (bedtime) story around 300-350 words (or 1,500 characters)
- Image to support your story, ideally something you make with your kids and take a photo of
- Your details: your name, blog name, blog link, your photo and a short description about your blog
Let’s collaborate in an effort to change the story of those kids, born with the challenge to survive, and help them write together a better story of their life, one that will make them smile. Now it’s onto you. Please email me asap, if interested.
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November 7, 2011
Tarts, cakes, crumbles, muffins, cookies and meringues – we love them all when home-baked with love!
It’s the National Baking Week 17th – 23rd October, and to celebrate it, we teamed up with Steenbergs Organics to give you a chance to win this Organic Luxury Chocolate Cake Box!
To enter our Bake & Win photo contest…
1/ Get baking (and no cheating please 
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2/ Take a photo of your yummy home-made cake or whatever you prefer and upload it on our Facebook page not later than 27th October
3/ Share with your friends and ask them to vote for you. The one with most votes will grab the prize!
Simple as that! And if your little helpers are happy to bake with you, let them take part and share the fun!
Steenbergs Luxury Gift Box for Bakers is ideal for those who love baking their own home made cakes – there’s nothing yummier and why go to all that trouble if you are not using the finest ingredients? This version contains Steenbergs organic Fairtrade vanilla extract. This box isn’t just for cakes and it’s full of delicious ingredients.
This baking hamper contains:
- 500g of Suma’s organic Fairtrade cocoa powder
- 500g of Sunflowers organic self-raising flour, stoneground in Yorkshire
- 150g of Green & Black’s organic 72% cook’s chocolate
- 500g of Suma’s organic icing sugar
- 100ml of Steenbergs organic Fairtrade vanilla extract.
Closing date: 27th October
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October 18, 2011
We just found new friends – lovely people who really care about the environment, and are doing something about it. And what they do is Aquatina. – Yes, I am sure you recognise the name from the Dragon’s Den. But in case you haven’t seen it just yet, Aquatina makes collapsible pocket-bottles. These 500ml bottles compress to 1/3 of their original size when emply – just right to fit in a pocket or a handbag. It’s a fabulous idea, very convenient, great design and most importantly, eco-friendly. It’s also brilliant for when out-and-about or travelling… especially with kids!
Did you know that globally, we throw away 150 billion water bottles every year? Line them up (nose to tail) and they’d stretch to the moon and back…50 times! Very few are recycled. Most bottles end up in landfills taking decades to decay.
Inspired by this, the guys behind Aquatina are launching Find-a-Fountain – a charity to encourage the use of free drinking water. Simply go to http://www.findafountain.org and you will be shown the nearest water source where you can fill your Aquatina for free. So far, its mainly London, but soon your help will be needed to map the rest of Britain!
The team behind Aquatina has spent weekends and lunch hours scouring the UK capital for free water sources. All the ones they’ve found have been mapped on the site. And it’s not just fountains. There are coffee shops, bars, pubs, shops and even offices where you can fill your Aquatina.
Aquatina are looking for sponsors to help build their website, restore drinking fountains, develop a FaF app, and to promote the drinking of tap water. If you think you can help, please get in touch – it’s great if we can all make a change – not tomorrow, but today!
And with our Summer Competitions just around the corner, stay tuned for more fresh & exciting news from Aquatina! 
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June 24, 2011
Congratulations to all the finalists in this year’s MAD Blog Awards! Very well-deserved!
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June 13, 2011
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