May 19, 2013

Flying Start catches up with one of the country’s leading suppliers of Adhesive Labels

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Celebrating their 10th anniversary in 2013, Label Planet is one of the country’s leading suppliers of adhesive labels on A4 sheets. Based in Nantwich in Cheshire, Label Planet is an online company using the web site www.labelplanet.co.uk to fulfil orders from individuals, companies and other organisations for sheet labels for inkjet and laser printers. As sheet labels are a speciality for Label Planet, they stock a vast array and offer the choice of over 40 different sizes in 30 different materials and can cope rapidly with orders up to 20,000 A4 Sheets on most of their products.

 

There are three main reasons why Label Planet’s owner, David Worgan, believes that Label Planet have moved on in leaps and bounds from their starting point a decade ago, a comprehensive product list, a dedicated but easy to use web site and same day despatch for smaller orders and next day despatch for large quantities.

 

With straightforward search options enabling the customer to find labels by either searching categories or alternatively by an alphabetical list, it couldn’t be easier to find the right label quickly and Label Planet’s range includes Coloured labels, Round labels, Gold labels, Silver labels, Gloss labels, Transparent labels, Removable labels and Waterproof labels. With so many choices you can narrow down the results by using the search facility that offers the opportunity to locate the right label by No. Per Sheet, Height, Width, Shape or Material Type.

 

Label Planet can also take orders by phone and our customer service is open from 9.00am to 5.00 pm weekdays. If you already buy sheets of A4 labels, or need labels for a new product or new application or new business then give Label Planet a try, we are always pleased to help by offering advice on the correct label for your requirement.

Soon after Label Planet’s inception, they developed and offered the Stikins set of name labels and tens of thousands of UK parents have been re-ordering Stikins® year after year since 2004! Until Stikins®, people used to have to either sew in labels or iron on name labels. Stikins® Original clothing labels combined a unique label material, adhesive and shape to ensure that they stayed attached to the garment’s wash-care label.Stikins labels simply stick into clothes so no sewing in or ironing on is needed.

 

In 2010, New Stikins labels were introduced. New Stikins® are the result of a breakthrough in the adhesive and label material manufacturing industry. The adhesive bond is washer-proof, and the unique vinyl material is so soft and pliable that it won’t cause any irritation or discomfort. This advanced vinyl brought greater versatility to the use of labels. The label must be stuck onto the wash-care label of clothes, and the same label can also be used on shoes, dishwasher items and general school items so no longer does the customer have to order different labels for different purposes.

 

Stikins New Name Labels have been successfully tested by an independent laboratory using BS EN ISO6330 wash test procedure for 30 washes at 40 degrees.

For more information on Label Planet and Stikins you can check out the following web sites,

www.labelplanet.co.uk and www.name-labels.com

To contact Label Planet you can email them on info@labelplanet.co.uk or call 01270 668076

Label Planet is located at:-

Wilbraham House, Unit 2 Alvaston Business Park, Middlewich Road, Nantwich, CW5 6PF

 

Eating Out with the Kids

Friends eating at a restaurant

 Remember the days when romantic dinners for two were a regular occurrence, looking into each other’s eyes over the top of a wine glass after sampling the finest food on the menu? Just a distant memory? Looking forward to taking the family to McDonalds at the weekend? Then join the thousands of parents who have changed their dining out habits after the kids came along. Flying Start wanted to find out if it has to be that way and if restaurants have made any major changes in the way that they treat families with younger children.

 

In the UK we appear to have a completely different attitude to family dining. In many European countries, taking children to restaurants is the norm from a very early age and not just accepted but actively encouraged. Admittedly the climate in France, Italy and Spain may be more conducive to outdoor dining that lasts until the late evening but then again, they don’t appear to want their children in bed by 7pm.

 

To understand and deal with dining out, children need to experience it and that is where the continental culture differs to that of the UK where it seems that some people still want our children to be seen but not heard, an opinion that prefers families to dine at McDonalds but not the slightly more upmarket options that abound.

 

Apart from the cultural differences of the clientele, there are also differences in the way foreign restaurants approach the “family dining” scenario. Many of them try to openly participate with waiters and staff assuming pseudo family status by dealing directly with the children and even telling them off if required, something that would be frowned upon in Britain, to say the least.

 

A modern standard in the UK seems to be based upon new parents taking their first born out with them for the first time to find that throughout the experience, their child decides to decorate the carpet, seating and décor with a fine selection of food from all courses. They then wail to the rest of the restaurant to let them know that he/she would have preferred eggy soldiers and who do they think they’re looking at and tutting disapproval to. At which point parents beat retreat and never venture out again, unless the fast food outlet is close enough, for another few years. It needn’t be the case though.

 

You can you look for in a restaurant that will offer a greater amount of success for a meal with the kids and here are a few tips on how to do it.

There are a few obvious places to start. Asking around your circle of friends and family is bound to bring out a few suggestions.

 

Maybe you need to think about choosing places that are bound to be a hive of activity so that if your children do want to complain loudly about the uncomfortable high chair, they will just add to the existing noise and not court the wrath of fellow diners. Of course the opposite could be true as well, as empty establishments don’t have other people to upset.

 

 

 

Dining in booths can be a bonus. It can cut down the noise and also the distance that your children might be able to fling the mashed potato and offers some protection to other diners. Combine this with somewhere that offers very little delay in service and it should keep the kids more focussed on their food and less on playing cops and robbers in and around the tables.

 

Look online before you book anywhere and see if a restaurant has reviews – www.childfriendly.co.uk is a good place to start as restaurants are listed by your area. If you need to make a booking, ask while you are on the phone if the waiters are trained to deal with children, if children receive any special treatment such as activity packs or colouring in books and what facilities are available in terms of children’s menus and baby changing wash rooms amongst other things.

 

The Independent listed it’s top five that are found all over the country. Wagamama, Pizza Express, Belgo, Carluccio’s and Nando’s appear to get the backing of many families for half decent food, pricing that remains in the family budget, distractions for the kids and if all else fails, a good mop and bucket!

Flying Start catches up with Bag Crazy

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In these modern times, it seems as though we need to carry more and more things around with us in order just to get through the day. Advances in technology have meant that gadgets have become more portable, computing on the go is the norm and no matter where we go or what we do, we all have something to carry whether for work or for relaxation.

 

How many of those items actually come with some kind of physical protection as standard? Not that many. As most of us want to ensure our possessions are protected it makes sense to be on the lookout for good quality effective products that can add to the longevity of our laptops, iPads and the many other devices we use on a daily basis.

 

Laptop Sleeves

Bag Crazy are just the people to supply those bags and covers. Bag Crazy is a secure online store based in Taunton, in the South West, specialising in top quality brands of bags. They offer a wide range of Laptop Bags, Laptop Sleeves, Camera Bags, Netbook Bags,

Messenger Bags, iPod and iPhone cases, lunch bags, bags for baby’s accessories and so much more. As stock is sourced from around the world it gives the customer a huge range of fashionable, funky and functional bags to choose from for all occasions.

Sports equipment and clothing is one of the reasons why we need to carry things with us and Bag Crazy can provide a selection of holdalls for all sporting needs. There are a whole host of other needs for bags and holdalls from backpacking to shopping, children’s lunch bags to gym bags, briefcases, bottle totes and music bags. Bag Crazy has them all.

 

With manufacturers of the calibre of Adidas, Built NY, Crocs and Canterbury, Bag Crazy can offer top quality products that you can be certain will exactly suit you needs.

 

And now Bag Crazy have taken their products one step further allowing their customers to personalise products. Custom Crazy offers the consumer a greater choice in products from apparel to mugs to bags, robes, towels and other gifts with each having either an in-house design or an image uploaded by the customer added to it for that extra special touch.

 

This innovative approach allows anyone to select a product, a design or image and text to be added to the item. Uploading your own photograph is childsplay as all you need to do is tell the software where to find your image and it will be uploaded to the Custom Crazy site in seconds. Specify the text, checkout and sit back and wait for your special gift to arrive. It couldn’t be easier.

 

With hundreds of stock designs to choose from you’re sure to find something to suit your needs if you don’t have your own artwork to upload.

With so many products to choose from and so many designs available as well as uploading your own, Custom Crazy gives everybody the perfect gift.

To find out more about Bag Crazy and Custom Crazy, check out their web sites at www.bagcrazy.co.uk  and www.customcrazy.co.uk or get in touch with them by either email using the contact forms on the web sites or emailing salesteam@bagcrazy.co.uk  You can  phone on 01823 430530 or you can write to them at

 

Bag Crazy / Custom Crazy, Hearn House, Westwood, Bishops Lydeard, Taunton, TA4 3HQ

2013 Limited Edition Disney Collection

fabric flavours disney collection

FABRIC FLAVORS disneyFabric Flavours have designed an exclusive 90 piece limited edition Disney collection consisting of babygrows, t-shirts, hoodies and pyjamas for boys and girls aged 0-10. Featuring all the best loved Disney characters such as the Disney Princess, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Toy Story and Cars. Pre-washed for extra softness and featuring eye-catching character prints, quirky slogans and beautiful embellishments, each garment has been designed and produced with the greatest attention to detail.

FABRIC FLAVORS disneyFABRIC FLAVORS disney

The collection is being sold exclusively in the Harrods Disney boutique until the 31st of January 2013. From the 01st of February it will be available to buy online from www.fabricflavours.com.

The Baby Show celebrates its 10th Anniversary at Earls Court, 26-28th October 2012

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Myleen Klass The Baby Show
Jenni Falconer The Baby ShowThe Baby Show Earls Court is the flagship event in The Baby Show calendar and this year there’s evenmore to shout about because they are celebrating their 10th Birthday!
They will be joined by a who’s who of parenting experts including Professor Robert Winston (Child of our time), Annabel Karmel MBE (The Baby & Toddler Mealplanner), Claire Byam-Cook (celebrity breastfeeding expert) and Dr Julie Coultas (baby development expert). There is a host of exciting content for visitors including daily fashion shows, The Face of the Baby Show competition, giveaways and of course, lots and lots of opportunity to shop.
With over 300 brands present at the show it’s the ideal opportunity to test and buy in a tailor made environment that includes free changing facilities courtesy of nappy recycling experts Nappies2Go, a free Fisher-Price crèche (bookable inadvance), Vtech Smart Play Zone packed with innovative toys to help development through play, a shopping drop off and collect by car service, so that you don’t have to lug your shopping around with you and for the first time you can take the stress out ofshopping completely by booking a personal shopping experience with Baby Concierge!
With leading brands such as Britax, Fisher Price, Mamas & Papas, Mothercare, M&S, Stokke, Superdrug & The Gro Company in attendance, The Baby Show really is a one stop shop for all of your parenting needs.
The Baby Show, Earls Court 26th – 28th October 2012. Advance tickets cost £13.50 each (Friday) and £14.50 each (Saturday & Sunday) or £20 on the door. http://www.thebabyshow.co.uk/earlscourt
Pushchair love at The Baby ShowBaby Ballet at The Baby Show

The Baby Show Annabel Karmel on stage

LolliBop 2012 Tickets Now On Sale

LolliBop Family Festival 2012

LolliBop 2012 tickets are now on sale for a super early bird price of £19.50pp. There are a limited number of tickets available at this special price for the family event, which is returning to Regent’s Park, August 17-19.

LolliBop are delighted to announce Halfords as an official partner for the 2012 event. Halfords will create a bespoke Bike City at LolliBop, which will include a Wacky Races obstacle course for under 5s, where children can be the first to try out a brand new range of Balance and Apollo kids Bikes. LolliBopper’s will be the first in the country to ride the new bikes, which are available to buy exclusively at Halfords from September. For big brothers and sisters highlights include a BMX stunt display and demo area.

Pint sized guests (and grown ups) will notice a few more additions to the 2012 event.

The ‘LolliBop Kitchen’ will bring an exciting new area to the event, where LolliBoppers will have the chance to learn new skills from live demonstrations and interactive workshops. A new ‘Tween’ area will play host a number of activities including street dance, hula hoop, and beatbox workshops, and even it’s very own laser room!

Other new areas include ‘The LolliBop Human Zoo’, ‘The Disco Shed’, and the ‘The Village Green’ (with its own live music, craft stalls, and street theatre).

Back by popular demand, the Science Museum are preparing for a triumphant return to Regent’s Park with an expanded area and dedicated Science Zone.

For pre-schoolers, the ’3 ft & Under’ area is back. Confirmed activities include a mini disco, tiny play, little arts, yoga, teddy bears picnic and baby salsa. An extended covered buggy park is also being created.

Old favourites, including ‘LolliSports’, ‘Imagination Stations’, ‘Itsy Bitsy Strictly’ and ‘The Enchanted Forest’ will all return for 2012.

And of course no festival would be complete with a live stage. ‘LolliBop Live’ will play host to some of the hottest names in kids entertainment, with some surprises for adults to. Headliners to be announced soon.

LolliBop Super Early Bird day tickets are on sale now priced £19.50pp (numbers are limited). http://www.lollibopfestival.co.uk

Great Little Trading Co. wins Best Children’s Retailer Award 2012

Great Little Trading Company
For the fifth time, GLTC has won Best Children’s Retailer at the industry’s prestigious ECMOD Awards.
GLTC offers a unique online ‘department store for kids’ – a treasure trove of brilliant and often exclusive toys and furniture for children and their parents. It’s committed to helping families make the most of childhood in every way; this is achieved by design innovation and rigorous testing to ensure the value, performance, and quality of everything they sell.
With its ‘Price Match Promise’, completely free returns on everything, and with fantastic customer service a constant priority, GLTC has seen its customer satisfaction index rise inexorably throughout the last 12 months despite the very tough retail environment.
Jamie Reeve, GLTC’s Executive Chairman says ‘We’re so pleased to have won this award for the fifth time – I’m especially pleased for my team and our suppliers, as they have all put in so much hard work designing and sourcing our range and improving our customer care’.

For the fifth time, GLTC has won Best Children’s Retailer at the industry’s prestigious ECMOD Awards.

GLTC offers a unique online ‘department store for kids’ – a treasure trove of brilliant and often exclusive toys and furniture for children and their parents. It’s committed to helping families make the most of childhood in every way; this is achieved by design innovation and rigorous testing to ensure the value, performance, and quality of everything they sell.

With its ‘Price Match Promise’, completely free returns on everything, and with fantastic customer service a constant priority, GLTC has seen its customer satisfaction index rise inexorably throughout the last 12 months despite the very tough retail environment.

Jamie Reeve, GLTC’s Executive Chairman says
‘We’re so pleased to have won this award for the fifth time – I’m especially pleased for my team and our suppliers, as they have all put in so much hard work designing and sourcing our range and improving our customer care’.

Make This Valentines a Twisted One

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If you haven’t already experienced the Twisted humour over at Twisted Twee, It’s as simple as this…
You are missing out.

Flying Start checks out the fantastic range of gifts in store for Valentines 2012 from one of our most favourite online retailers.

Lets be honest, some of us do like to ‘starfish’ in bed, wriggle, fidget and take over the place. Why not make your mark in black and white with the My side/Your side pillow cases. No more arguments on bed space. The pillow has spoken.

If your beastly but rather amusing side wants to jump out, why not show your loved one just how much you care this valentines… with a gun or an axe to the head?!

It’s all about the pillowcases!

Here’s some more….

From parking one cheek onto parking, erm, the other!

Increase your other halves success and self esteem by totally lowering their standards. Stretch your Valentines fun out over three weeks by rewarding them with a weekly merit badge

And last but not least… the pants!
From Henry the 8th to Margaret Thatcher. There are sure to be some perfect pants for your special mis match!

Click the images below to enlarge some of the other fantastic gifts available from Twisted Twee…
Or head over to www.twistedtwee.co.uk to shop now!

Win a luxurious pair of Shepherd’s Life Classic Short Sheepskin boots in time for Christmas!

revised boots advert

Shepherd’s Life manufacture a wide range of styles of high quality sheepskin boots .

The boots are produced using the finest Australian sheepskin possible, which is unbelievably soft ,comfortable and warm….
Treat your feet this Winter !
Competition closes 19th December and the boots will be delivered by the 23rd ( subject to stock availability)


http://www.shepherdslife.co.uk/

Treat your feet this Winter !

Which breed of Australian sheep produces the finest wool that is used to make Shepherd's Life boots ?

Calm before the storm

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The St Moritz Hotel in Cornwall offers soon-to-be-parents one last chance to bid farewell to their self-indulgent days with its Calm Before The Storm package. Janette French reviews for Flying Start

Perfectly situated on the beautiful Cornish coast in Trebetherick, the St Moritz Hotel is the ideal place for expectant couples to escape for one last chance to unwind and relax.

Keen to experience the hotel’s Calm Before The Storm package first hand, our luxurious trip began in style with a first class train journey courtesy of First Great Western to Bodmin Parkway station.

On arrival, we checked into our suite, which boasted striking views of the sea from a balcony that led out from the open plan living area and bedroom. It’s clear to see why the hotel has attracted politicians, film stars, business leaders and writers in its lifetime, all of whom have been drawn not only to the spectacular coast that the St Moritz sits on, but also its high level of service.

The hotel is steeped in history and dates back to the Second World War. The original private house belonged to a couple who reinvented it after the war as a luxurious hotel. Truly international, it was named St Moritz after the owner’s trips to the Swiss town, where he found a commitment matching his for haute cuisine, excellent service and attention to detail.

Once managing to prise ourselves away from the suite’s awesome view, we were shown to the Cowshed spa to indulge in some much-needed pampering. At eight months pregnant, I was in urgent need of relaxation so this is the part of the package that I was most looking forward to. I indulged in two pamper treatments from the menu – Udderly Gorgeous Full Body Massage (£70) and Pedicure (£40) – which lasted 60 minutes each and perfectly accommodated me and my sizeable bump. My husband revelled in having time to unwind himself and opted for the 60-minute Cowshed Massage (£65), which was his first ever massage but by no means his last!

The evening meal served in the hotel restaurant topped off what had been a lovely day at the St Moritz. We enjoyed starters of hand dived scallops with black pudding and golden raisins (£13.50) and confit duck leg with rocket, shallot and aged balsamic (£10), followed by sea bream with shrimp and pancetta risotto (£17.50) and grilled 30-day aged ribeye steak with goose fat chips and sauce diable (£22.50) for the main courses, finished with apple crumble with clotted cream (£7) and a selection of West Country cheese (five for £9.50 or £2.75 per cheese) from the dessert menu. Back when the hotel first opened,the chefs learned their trade in Switzerland and the excellence they brought back saw its reputation soar. This excellence is still evident today in both the quality and presentation of the food.

After a peaceful and comfortable night’s sleep, we made the most of the luxuries on offer and ordered breakfast in bed, followed by a leisurely walk on the beach and afternoon tea. Later, we reluctantly checked out and made the journey back to reality feeling thoroughly revitalised, if not a little nervous at our imminent arrival, Zach, who made his appearance just two weeks later!

A few things:

  • You can upgrade from king / twin room (£125 per person per night based on two sharing) to a suite for an extra £60 per room, per night.
  • To book the The Calm Before The Storm package you can contact the St Moritz Hotel on 01208 862242.
  • For more information on the hotel visit www.stmoritzhotel.co.uk