Cards from Africa

At the moment I would say the earth is in a pretty bad way as far as people go, wars are going on and nobody knows why....   I mean we are told why on the news but it just doesn't make sense. Trust is being broken all over the globe and populations of people are turning against their own governments because of the breakdown of trust and respect.
Youths attack with guns and knives and hatred is fast outgrowing love.


Despite this, there are still good things happening around the planet, we just don't seem to hear about it as much, people tend to focus on bad news and forget about all the good things that are happening.


One example I would like to give is of an organisation that has been set up in Rwanda called 'Cards from Africa'. In a place that has been affected by genocide & war and more recently disease, there has been a seed of hope planted by Chris Page who had the idea back in 2004 to set up 'Cards from Africa' to help generate an income for the orphaned youths of Rwanda. 

The full story can be read on Cards from Africa's website - click here to learn more. 
A snippet of their story can be read below:
'Chris teamed up with Rwandan artist Gabriel Dusabe and together they learned how to make paper and create simple card prototypes. Their first employee was a young orphaned woman named Ariette. After one month's time they asked her to bring another friend to train but she brought two! Shortly after, twenty more orphaned youth were trained and the business was born. Our profits are continually reinvested into company operations as well as the lives of our staff. Our hope is to grow to provide steady employment to 300 orphaned young people in Rwanda and to provide a model for sustainable job creation in Africa.' (ref: cards from africa website; a brief history)




I love the idea that this organisation has been set up to help the orphans of Rwanda to generate their own income rather than just to raise charitable donations which don't always help the cause. The youths of Rwanda have been given a sense of hope and a chance to make their own life good because of the good will of one man's idea.


Amor Uk now sells a selection of cards all completely handmade from scratch by the people at 'Cards from Africa'. These cards are beautiful and each one takes around 30 minutes to create. All the paper is handmade from local Rwandan office waste, making it environmentally sustainable too. 

As quoted on the 'Cards from Africa' website.....   'Beautiful Cards. Better Lives'. For every card you purchase you are helping to generate an income for a generation of youths and making their lives that little bit better each day.


To see the range of cards we have available please click here

What a Beautiful Day

A beautiful day is upon us again. This morning I decided to leave the emails until later and took the offering of the glorious Devon sunshine as an invitation for a morning walk. Plus it would be a great way to tire my 2 youngest out so I could get some work done this afternoon.

Trying to explain to a 3 year old and 1 year old that mummy can only take one pram at a time was a bit of a  challenge - when daddy is here they both want to walk but because mummy is on her own they both decided they wanted to go in the pram.
So after a few screams and tears later we agreed that we would take turns with sitting in the pram and one can sit in it while the other collects magic snail shells and wands (well wooden twigs actually,  but we like to use our imagination).

Off we went out of the gate and left down the lane. It was beautiful, the view across the Devon hills could be seen for miles around and the sounds of the birds added a touch of music to the peaceful countryside.
Further down the lane we could hear the bleating of the spring lambs calling out for their mothers as we passed by. We walked down a steep hill shaded by the trees, the sunlight trying to peep through the gaps between the branches, creating a wonderful shimmer of sunspots on the ground. My three year old found herself a little snail shell which she said was magic so I told her to put it in her pocket to keep it safe. As we came to the bottom of the hill my 1 year old decided he was ready to get out of his pram and have a little walk. He is fascinated with the river at the bottom of the hill and is mesmorized by its ripples and bubbles at it flows and splashes along its meandering route.

Every now and then a car would pass by and we would politely stand to the side to let it pass by along the narrow lane - in return I received a polite nod with a smile and a hand wave (wonderful people are Devon folk, such good souls). The walk was slow and there was a lot of pram swapping as we made our merry way but thats all part of the fun I think when the children are out with you.

We did really well and walked quite some miles, passing by a few horses grazing on the sweet hay, I could smell the scent of it in the air as I passed by. We'd already done the down hill bit, now it was time to do the dreaded up hill - good for the leg muscles I suppose. I had one of my children sat in the pram on the way up the hill and the other holding my hand, she did extremely well as it was quite a steep and long hill. We had to stop for a breather at the top (well I did at least).

We passed the farm with the eggs for sale at the side of the road which meant we were almost back home...     "just one more hill and we are home" I told my 3 year old and I reassured her that she had done extremely well to walk as far as she did - such a long way for little legs, especially when contending with big hills and passing cars to look out for.

So we arrived back home and I expected my children to be quite tired after a walk that took most of the morning, but no, they had just as much energy as when we started. I wish I had some of their energy.
A lovely walk nonetheless.

Kids Are Brilliant

What I would give to be a kid again, just for one day. They have everything down to a fine art.
They are sometimes better than us adults when it comes to handling certain scenarios.
For example:

• When they fall out with their friends, they have a little sulk, then smile and make up. When adults fall out with friends, we ignore them for years and usually over something silly.
• Our children will say hi to anyone, no matter who they are. Whereas we do not make the effort to say hi to anybody.
• A child will ask an honest question when they are curious about something. Adults will gossip and spread whispers about what they think the answer may be.
• Children can make fun out of anything, they just add a splash of imagination and there is no stopping them. These days adults need money to have fun, they need to buy material goods or purchase something to keep up with everyone else.
• Children don't care what they look like, they don't care about a bit of mud or grass stains. Adults spend so much time on their appearance and judging everyone else's that they forget to use personality.
• Children concentrate on their own fun and love having plenty of it. Adults are too busy comparing themselves to everyone else that they forget to have their own fun.
• Children live for the here and now. Adults either hold on to the past too much or put too much effort into the future and forget to live the here and now.
• Children find it really easy to smile and laugh. Adults seem to have forgotten how to do that.
• Children do not judge race, religion or ethnicity. Adults most certainly do.
• Children are care free. Adults care too much about what everyone else thinks.
• If you put children from all around the world into a playground they will not fight for ownership of it. If you put adults from around the world into an area they will fight to claim it.
• Children will not start a war. Adults will.
• Children don't care if something isn't perfect. Adults do.
• Children can give love freely without expecting anything in return. Most adults cannot do this.
• Children don't look to others for ideas or imagination - they have plenty of their own. I think many adults have forgotten how to use theirs.

A picture showing my two youngest children playing on the beach with seaweed and pebbles, not much money involved, no fancy toys or play centres around - just good old fashioned imagination and freedom.

Our children have the right idea when it comes to how we should be in our lives on this planet. They are happy and free and funny and imaginative and they are not scared to try something new.

We should try and be like our children, learn to laugh and care without expecting anything in return. We should care about others whether we know them or not. We should not judge and comment badly towards others just for the sake of being hurtful. We shouldn't turn our backs on people because they are different in any way. We should not presume, provoke or attack but instead learn to do the opposite and care, love and respect one another. 

Next time you are about to get mad over something silly, fall out with a friend over nothing important, feel envious because your friends have more money than you, feel like being hurtful to someone just because they are different, or worry about the way you look....   just think for a minute, what would your children do? The chances are they wouldn't even care, because they would be too busy living their lives for the moment and having fun.

Oh to have a day in the life of our childhoods....  just one day - wouldn't it be wonderful?

George's First Steps

Another post here about George Palmer, the wonderful little boy who needs your help so he can undergo a life changing operation in the U.S.

Please help George's parents to raise the money they need to get George to America and have his operation.

To do this they need to find £55,000.

So far £16,940.43 has been raised

The money raised is to pay for:
Flights to America
1 month stay
All the surgery costs
After care/physio for 3 weeks after the operation in America
2 years therapy for after surgery which they have to commit to (this includes the Footsteps Therapy that George has each year)

To read George's amazing story visit his website at George's First Steps

Not everyone can afford to give a lot but just a little will still help to get one step closer to the target.
Let friends and family know and ask if they would kindly donate to this very worthy cause.

Donate today

Do Mums Get Enough Credit?

I have often seen a post flying around facebook about all the things that us mums do on a daily basis. Just to mention a few of things we do:

• Cooking, 
• cleaning, 
• school run, 
• appointments, 
• shopping, 
• laundry, 
• ironing, 
• household bill management, 
• little errands

 - the list is never ending. Trying to do all that we do, plus holding a job down is quite a lot of work for anyone. Wouldn't it be lovely to kick back and relax? If you're anything like I am, relaxing isn't as easy as it sounds. I always find that when the kids are not around, I still end up looking for things to keep myself busy.


What do you do when you have a moment to yourself?

I think all mums are wonderful to have made the choice to have children and commit their time and effort to them. To nurture them and bring them into the world guiding them one step at a time. Catching them when they fall and holding them when they cry. After all if we never had children, our world would come to an end.

Every child needs their mum, she is their rock and one true person they can count on when they have nowhere else to turn.

I wrote this post as a recognition of all mums out there, working mums, stay-at-home mums, whatever kind of mum you are - you are all wonderful....  all trying to do what you think is best for your children. No matter how many times you doubt yourselves, or receive criticism or maybe the mother-in-law doesn't think you are doing it right. Even so, you stand strong and keep your children's best interest at heart.
As long as your children have your love, nothing else matters.......   not toys, money, sweets, expensive holidays...  just as long as they have your love they will grow up happy - of that I am sure.

So if ever you're having a bad day and don't think you are a good mum, keep your chin up and think about all the good things you do for your children  xx

Amor Uk Welcomes Little Tikes

Amor Uk now stocks the ever popular 'Little Tikes' range of children's toys. We have a good range on offer, from slides & swings to play kitchens, teeter totters, little cars and basketball sets.

We also have an excellent choice of sand and water play tables, brilliant for the up and coming summer and outdoor play.

To view the full range of Little Tikes toys that we have in our store click here

George's First Steps

Today is my 30th birthday. I must say I'm not a presents and cards kind of person but I do like to give to others. I received the most beautiful present any girl could receive on her 30th birthday which was a marriage proposal from my wonderful partner Damian.


So anyway, while I was busy doing my twitter posts showing off about my engagement I came across a post that kind of put things into perspective about how lucky I am and made me have a good old think about what I would love to do for my birthday.


I read the story of a little boy in Devon called George. George is 4 years old and he was born six weeks prematurely on 7th September 2007, by emergency c-section weighing 4lb 14oz.  When he was 3 days old he had an MRI Scan which revealed that he had a major brain haemorrhage which had taken place before he was born.  Blood had leaked all over his brain causing intensive damage.  The Doctors said he would never walk, never talk and have severe disabilities - likely to be cerebral palsy, epilepsy and possible vision problems.  His parents were also told that he would never know who they were. 

George is defying the odds and his determination is exceeding initial medical prognosis.
His parents are trying to raise money for a life changing op in the U.S. and they need to raise £55,000 - so far they have managed to raise £12,546.95.
I am asking everybody that reads this to visit George's website, read his story and make a donation and help George's parents to get him the treatment he needs.


If you could pass this on to everyone you know and give your help with a donation.

Click here to go to George's website and donate

Thank you

Radio Gaga Designer Baby Bag

The super stylish Radio Gaga baby/nappy bag has landed in the UK. 

With amazing worldwide reviews this beautiful bag created by german designer Romy Rogotzki is a must have for designer mummies in the UK.

It is both stylish and practical and comes with a coordinating changing mat and pram clip straps.

With a cool radio design, beautiful quirky pattern and colours, along with plenty of pockets for all your baby bits, it is practical as well as beautiful and all new mummies have to have one!

To view the full product listing click here

Time to Start Growing

We have reached that time of year again where the garden is prepared and the seeds are ready for sowing. If you, like myself, love nothing better than to be in the garden with your children then we have the perfect little package to get them started.


The fantastic range of 'Secret Seed Society' story and seed packs are an ideal way to introduce your children to the world of growing their own food. 


Story & Seed Packs take children on an adventure with vegetables from seed to supper. 

Currently available in our online store:

Carla Carrot Story & Seed Pack - £5

Rudi Radish Story & Seed Pack - £5

Chrissie Cress Story & Seed Pack - £5

Mingo Mung Story & Seed Pack - £5

And there has recently been a new addition to the super 'Secret Seed Society' range. 

The rocking Rio Rocket Story & Seed Pack - £5

What a wonderful gift for your children. Encourage their green fingers and introduce them to a fun way of growing and preparing their own food to eat (with help from Mum & Dad of course!).

To find out more click here

Punypixel Organic Baby Wear Now in Store

Amor welcome a new take on designer baby wear. High quality garments that are kind to our children & our planet 

Super soft.
100% certified organic cotton.

'Designer label' now has a whole new meaning. With the fabulously stylish Punypixel range you can still have high end, high quality products that are kind and gentle to baby's skin whilst caring for our planet and maintaining high social responsibility.

Your children will look super hip in this fantastic range of garments from Punypixel. Get your children looking good by wearing the trend of the future.

If you love high quality designer labels then you will love the Punypixel range of organic baby and toddler wear.

View the full Punypixel range 

What customers are saying about Punypixel

"Just washed the puny iris bodysuit and just wanted to tell you that as a former Product

and Development Manager of baby clothes for Gap and Ralph Lauren in the US, Japan

and EU markets, I can say your stuff is definitely top quality!

Love that material, it’s insanely soft! Looking forward to Albane using it!"

Bianca Monzon-Cueva

Mom to Albane (1 mo.)

Paris, France

The Invisible Children

I came across something today that I found extremely upsetting. Please take a moment to watch the video and then pledge your support to stop this kind of thing and prevent it from happening again.

KONY 2012 - WATCH THE FILM

www.kony2012.com

Joseph Kony is the world’s worst war criminal. KONY 2012 is a 29-minute film that explains everything he’s done and how he can be stopped. This year. #KONY2012

http://s3.amazonaws.com/kony2012/kony-4.html

Please take a moment to give your support.

Make it stop!

Thank you.

The new Punypixel range - coming soon!!

PunyPixel Coming Very Soon to Amor 


Amor is extremely excited to be working with PunyPixel. We will have a new range of PunyPixel products coming soon to our website.

Here is a message from PunyPixel:

big change starts puny

PunyPixel care about kids & the planet so they make sure that sustainability & fair trade (BIG NO to child labor!) are enforced all the way. 

They take pride in partnering with manufacturers & suppliers whose business ethics are aligned with theirs: high quality products crafted with high social responsibility:

• Organic farming is a healthier livelihood for farmers.
• Manufactured in an ethical company in India who is a member of the Organic Trade Association
• Low impact processing from development to packaging.

Big change starts puny.  That's PunyPixel's core belief.  Their commitment to social change includes funding organizations that empower children.


And this is so true, we can all make a difference in the world without even realising it. By purchasing one of the PunyPixel products you will be helping to sustain working families in under privileged areas and developing countries.


www.amoruk.co.uk

Winter Collection - a strong message.
Donate your clothes today.

Source: helloyoucreatives.com via Neille on Pinterest

Go to www.newarkmission.org and donate your old clothes today. You don't realise how lucky you are.

Keen Artists

Great stuff! We have received the first entry for our 'Win a Baghera Pedal Car' competition already - super keen and in with huge odds of winning if the rest of you don't hurry up and dust the tin of crayons off and get your children drawing.....

The prize we have on offer is a very high quality pedal car from Baghera worth £125....  I would have loved one of these when I was a child, they look so original and they are built to last.

The competition is completely free to enter, there is no catch, you are not required to register on our website or purchase anything. Just simply get your children to draw a picture of a car and send it in to us by post or email. We will put as many entries as we can in our online gallery once the winner has been announced.

I simply cannot wait to see what lovely pictures your children are going to draw, we will have a hard time judging them all I bet here at Amor.

Closing Date for all entries is 31st may 2012


Entries by email: info@amoruk.co.uk
Entries by post: Amor Uk, 2 East End, Poughill, Crediton, Devon EX17 4LB

A good place to keep those sacred memories

We have recently added the wonderful 'Fill & Tell' range to our online store. Fill & tell's 'Book About Me' Is a modern memory book where the parents tell the story of their child, from when they themselves first met until the child is 5 years old. 

Designed to inspire and guide the writer, to become an album the child will want to save throughout life! A solid workbook of high quality with plenty of space for thoughts and photographs, and with practical plastic pockets for various keepsakes. With its many colourful illustrations it is suitable for boys as well as girls.  

Simply the perfect gift to parents-to-be or the newborn, for the  christening/naming day, or simply the parents’ gift to their own baby.

Fll & Tell - My Best book About Me

Checkout the version for grandparents:

Fill & Tell - For My Grandchild

Win a Baghera Pedal Car worth £125

Win a Baghera Pedal Car!

To celebrate the re-launch of Amor Uk's website we are hosting a competition for 3-5 year olds with the chance to win one of the very stylish pedal cars from the baghera range worth £125!
Get your children into design mode and get them to design their dream car for the chance to win!

To enter or find out more, follow the link: http://www.amoruk.co.uk/pages/competitions
Terms & conditions apply.