That's All, Folks!!

We have now passed our guaranteed last posting date for Christmas...we can still take orders, but can't promise they will get to you by Christmas Eve...If in doubt, give us a call! And in the meantime, big hugs and kisses from all of us here at My Small World - we have loved the challenge of delivering pressies all across the Uk this year, and look forward to discovering lots of new and shiny toys for you to enjoy in 2011.

Have a beautiful, sparkly, white, playful Christmas, and a warm and cosy New Year!

Dawn, Iris, jen, Wendi, Lizzy and Katy

xxxx

Last Christmas Delivery Dates...

Its going to be a White Christmas...official! And while this is tremendously exciting it also means that we are putting in place contingency plans to ensure that every parcel gets to its rightful home in time ...

We are moving our last order date to guarantee Christmas Delivery forward to Sunday 19th December. This means we will have a full week to track parcels and re-arrange delivery times as neccessary.

We will be able to take orders after this date, but cannot guarantee Christmas Delivery.

Deliveries to Scotland and Newcastle have now been suspended by our courier company - conditions in these areas are poor, and set to deteriorate in the coming week... if you have placed an order to these destinations we'll let you know how things are progressing...

If you are worried, please call us on 01225 338668 - remember, we can track a parcel from the moment it leaves our door 'til the moment it reaches yours, and we'll be able to give you clear updates on progress...

Kindest Regards....and Happy Christmas!
(And thanks for making this our most successful December ever - we really appreciate your faith and loyalty!)

Animation Sensation!

We've got our hands on what might be the next big thing when it comes to family pressies...an animation kit, complete with camera, which you simply plug into your pc to create your own animation film...Aardman eat your heart out!! We know it's not quite what you might expect from us, but anything which helps kids get creative is celebrated wholeheartedly by us!!

So you can see how utterly brilliant it is we are holding FREE animation sessions at our Southgate Store. We'll be busy animating from 3pm til 5.45pm; we'll bring the equipment - you just bring your imagination! (And although you can't buy them online yet, we'll have packs to sell on the day, (at £49.95).

See you there!

My Small World gets Bigger!

Its all very exciting!!! On 30th October we opened our doors on our newest store. Its in the stunning Southgate Shopping Centre in Bath!! We are in the cutest bit - a covered arcade called Little Southgate which runs between Boots and Debenhams. We love it - and we know you will too!

We love the fact that there is so much more room for buggies and playing. We've installed a very low display table so that even our shortest visitors can properly get their hands on the toys. And at last we've got a dedicated book corner...a big thrill, because you know how mad we are about our books!!! We (and countless pregnant and breastfeeding Mums) are looking forward to the soon-to-arrive armchair, and everyone is mad about our stunning Stevenson Rocking Horse - as yet unnamed, but we are running a competition in store to come up with the perfect title! (Even Mums can ride it...!!!)

The reactions we've had have been amazing, and we owe a lot of people big kisses and hugs for being My Small World Heroes - from suppliers who pulled out all the stops to get us our beautiful toys in time, to our amazing team here at My Small World who worked their little socks off...(Big Heroes include Martin from Haba, who called in favours from across Europe to get us our delivery in time, and then drove down from the North with his beautiful wife Julie to deliver our amazing display unit; they even stayed 'til Midnight to unpack and price the delivery. And brought wine!

We can't wait for you to come and visit...as always, its a work in progress, and how you feel about what we do has a big impact on us. We want to make the new store as beautiful, intimate, quirky and funky as our original, just with more space to play...

lots of love

Dawn and the My Small World Team!

Phone Lines Down! So Sorry!

Hi Guys...Our phone lines are temporarily down - we are not able to 'Talk Talk'! Bear with us - its getting fixed. In the meantime, just send us an email and we'll call you right back!
(Its sales@mysmallworld.co.uk by the way!)

Dawn, Jen and the team xxx

Grow Pumpkin, Grow!!

Check out our My Small World Pumpkin!!! It's the biggest one ever, and we are trying to work out exactly how we are going to transport it to the shop...this one might just beat us, so we may have to carve it in Situ!

I know Halloween isn't everyone's cup of tea...but despite the cynicism, I absolutely adore this cheeky little festival. I've just written an article about the delights of Halloween japes, which will be published in Bath Life at the end of the month...I'll put a link here so you can read all about how Halloween gave me by biggest dose of Parental Guilt ever...quite an achievement!

For those of you who find the whole pumpkin carving/dressing up thing just too stressful, or too tough to squeeze in to your hectic working/family schedule, we've found some great shortcuts..

These great candle bags look fantastic lining your path or steps - almost as good, if not better, than a pumkin. And we've loved the craze for Chinese Lanterns, but stopped stocking them when we discovered the trouble the wire frames caused when landing in livestock fields. However, our friends at Light-A-Lantern have created a fabtastic eco-friendly version made with the lightest of bamboo frames, which means it doesn't matter where they land! And, better still, they've created a set of five funky Halloween ones....what a fantastically magical way to bring to a close a sugar fuelled evening!

Have a fab evening, whatever you do!

Lots of Love
MSW xx

Champagne and Tissues...

Yes, it has happened again! Some of the children who first visited us when they were babes in arms (and some when they were just bumps!) have, in the last few days, started school. So, as usual, with a lump in our throats and armed with huge amounts of champagne (donated by our friends at Waitrose) and big boxes of tissues, we threw open our doors to welcome parents who had just dropped their child off at school for the very, very first time. Some were teary, some resigned, some positively joyful, but all left with goodies bags for their children and big hugs from us.

And in the meantime, we've been beavering away planning our new season; we love Autumn - windy, crisp, misty and beautiful. It begs us to get out on our bikes, grab the kites and the hot chocolate and find a handy hill! (We've also been sorting out a Halloween night to remember at The Glove Factory - think 'Big Egg Day', but in the dark, making spooky food, reading stories, creating spooky artwork and going on a spooky walk... we can't wait - more details to arrive soon!

Big Love!
Dawn, Iris, Jennie, Wendi and Lizzy x x x

Holiday Sanity Savers...

Holidays are brilliant. But long journeys and long days mean that you might just need a little extra inspiration to help keep your family entertained, so we've put together a great selection of slip-in-your-suitcase and keep-handy-in-your-hand-luggage goodies, designed to make trains, planes, automobiles and restaurants as brilliant a part of your holiday as the beach and the pool!

We've just returned from our Summer holidays and come back to the driving rain, so we are well aware that once again this Summer isn't what we were quite hoping for, but I still think there is room for much fun and frolics to be had...we curled up on the sofa yesterday and got stuck in to Which Witch? ...the most brilliant, funny (if a little dated) book for the 7 year olds and up. If you need something for slightly younger children, but want wit and great illustrations, check out 'Iggy Peck, Architect' or' 365 Penguins'...our favourites.

....and we must tell you that we have welcomed the gorgeous Jennie to our team, as manager of our Bath store. She's as passionate about toys as we all are, and proved it by taking one of our Scorch puppets with her to The Rocky Horror Show - our kinda lady!

What World Cup?

We are trying hard to be nonchalant about the World Cup, but can't help getting a little bit excited about our brilliant budkins Football set...the ref even looks like a cross between Des Lynham and Jimmy Hill....!!!

Shivering Among The Bluebells....

We've added some fantastic outdoor toys to the website over the last few weeks, including the brilliant recycled Horse Swing...I want one so badly, but am lacking the mature tree i need to hang it from...!!! With all this glorious outdoorsy fun to be had...magnifying glasses, tyre swings, flower presses, binoculars, balls it adds insult to injury that the weather is so blimmin' cold - we had three weeks of visits from children in suitably sunny attire, only to have returned to tights, coats and scarves...NOT FAIR!!

We are hanging out for glorious summer - we feel certain it will be here (although with a nagging doubt that perhaps it has already been....)

Lots of Love

Dawn, Iris, Wendi and Lizzy x x x

It really is Spring!

Friday April 9th. Officially the first day of spring in that the children went out without vests. And I went out without sunblock in my bag so we ended up very rosy indeed!! (Can you believe it!!)

We made it through what has seemed like the longest winter ever, and now things are really beginning to perk up....hence the addition of lots of fantastic gardening equipment...brilliant hardwearing forks, rakes and spades,buckets, balls...they will be in the webstore soon! (...and sssh! We will also be starting a SALE very soon....simply because we want to free up space in our stockroom for all the amazing summer stuff we have arriving. Some of my personal favourite things in the store will feature....and I'm trying to be brave - its a true Spring clean, and I am comforting myself with the knowledge that you will totally LOVE what is arriving!!

Dawn

Easter...It's not just about Chocolate

Plans are coming together for The My Big Egg Day, which will be the first time we've taken My Small World out on tour!! We are getting together with our friends at Glove Factory Studios in Holt for a day of pure child heaven...we'll be colonising their sculpture courtyard and huge field for Easter Egg Hunting, huge egg painting, Easter basket making, vintage tractor climbing, easter egg boules...it's going to be the business, even if it rains!! Click on the image on the homepage and it will tell you all about it and where to buy tickets. The Glove Factory is an amazing workspace and studios for Creative Businesses...take a peak at www.glovefactorystudios.com. Brings a whole new meaning to the idea of going to work!!

You can find lots of goodies for Easter now...no chocolate, but plenty to smile about, even for the little tiny ones!

We are still beavering away uploading all our new finds...and they'll keep on coming from now until Christmas....(sorry...did I say Christmas...!!)

Speak soon!

Dawn

New Toys Galore!!

We've been spending the last few weeks visiting our suppliers and spending time in Paris and London searching out the very best new toys for 2010. January and February is always an amazing time for us...and we can't wait to show you all the brilliant new toys and games we've discovered.

As usual, Djeco and Haba have developed superb new wooden toys and games for 2010, and we spent a good half a day with Moulin Roty oohing and aahing over some amazing new soft toys...keep an eye out- they will be with us very shortly!!

Lots of love,
Dawn, Iris, Wendi and Lizzy x x x

Let It Snow!

At Last! We've watched with envy as the rest of the country experienced a White Christmas while we simply shivered in sub zero temperatures and had to make do with a thick dusting of frost...and now, at last, it looks like Bath is going to be covered with more than a dusting of the white stuff...so we are hoping that school is shut tomorow, and we can pack a flask of hot chocolate and get on our sleds!

On a practical note, this may mean that, because of the snow and ice and because we don't want to put our gorgeous delivery drivers in peril, some parcels may be a little delayed, although as always we'll keep in touch and let you know exactly what's going on.

We are also working on a new page for the website... properly wintery toys and games to keep your children rosy cheeked and full of beans while they are outdoors, and warm, cosy and thoroughly absorbed while they are inside...watch this space!!

And finally....THANKYOU!
We just wanted to say a big thankyou to all our customers...we had our busiest Christmas ever, and, despite the snow, delivered 94% of our parcels within 36 hours of orders being placed. 3% were delivered after this time due to customers who were out at the time of delivery (we simply try again the next day!) and 3% of orders were held up for a few days while we waited for out of stock items to be delivered to us. The remaining 1% of houses were snowbound!!! ...but thanks to the fortitude of our drivers, and to fab customers who walked up country lanes to meet our couriers EVERY ORDER WAS SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED FOR CHRISTMAS!!!