Picture of Blackhall Mill Community Centre - our fair venue

So it's been a while since I posted on here, sorry for that, things have got a bit hectic here lately.

The plans and preparations for the upcoming first Maker's Market on Sunday 11th April are in full swing and we are pleased to have some fabulous stallholders all lined up with some gorgeous and unusual goodies for sale.

All the details for the fairs and about the stallholders can be found on the forum:

http://begin-again.co.uk/review/index.php

So, just to help out anyone planning on coming to the fair either as a stallholder or as a browser, I thought I would post some pics of the centre and the location so for those not familiar with the area it'll give you an idea of what to look for when you get there.

 

This is the centre (it goes back a lot further than is apparent on the pic - it's tardis-like!) 

It's situated on the main road and overlooks the River Derwent, so lovely views guaranteed!

So check out my handy red pointers above! :) How efficient am I? 

If you follow the road along by the river, (the postcode again for the centre is NE17 7TQ), and keep going you come to an old church - the centre is right next door and will have brightly coloured bunting outside for the occasion! 

Any queries, please email us at:

Makersmarket@begin-again.co.uk

Our first Craft Fair!

We are thrilled to announce that our first 
ever craft fair will be held on 
Sunday 11th April at the Blackhall Mill 
Community Association, near Hamsterley 
in Tyne and Wear, NE17 7TQ.

Ideally, we mainly want handcrafted or
unusual item stalls.

The fair will be on from 9.00am til 4.00pm.

If anyone is interested in having a stall, 
the charge is £5 per table if you bring your own tables
and £10 per table if you want us to provide tables -
althought they are limited. 


You will need your own table if possible.


Please email me for details or to book a space.
Email: Fiona@Begin-Again.co.uk

 

BEGIN-AGAIN 15% DISCOUNT SALE!

We are thrilled to announce our first 

ever Begin-Again Sale!

We thought that since January and February are

traditionally bad month for us all financially, we 

would help things along and do our bit. 

So, until 28th February, if you order anything from 

our website, when you get to the checkout if you

enter the code: SALE,  you will receive 

a 15% discount off everything!

Why not try and get ahead for next Christmas 

and stock up early! 

Head to Begin-Again.co.uk, there's bargains to be had! 

Fiona.

A thought on eliminating depressing months

I was thinking, we all hit this awful lull around January when all is back to normal, back to work and we don't have any pennies and got to wondering if we couldn't get rid of this somehow?

So, my thought:

If you go back in history, there are lots of customs and traditions that apply to specific times of year like MayDay in Spring, but a great many that are long-forgotten.

So maybe we should do some research, find out more about these customs and traditions that were celebrated and enjoyed long, long ago and bring them back to life.

Here's the idea.
This year for example, Autumn officially begins on September 22nd. So, instead of this lull in January and having nothing to look forward to, why don't we map out all the traditions and customs associated with Spring and Summer and start from January 1st to prepare and plan for those, and let's really have some fun. Who knows what creative, inexpensive ways we can find to enjoy ourselves and ensure we have plenty to look forward to. Then, once Autumn hits, September 22nd, we can start to prepare for Christmas and do the same there, and bring back some long-forgotten customs and traditions.

This way, we ALWAYS have something to look forward to and thus eliminating the depressing month of January and all its anti-climactic lows.
And who knows, with longer to prepare for events including Christmas and a resurgence in past customs, some of us may re-discover our love for the festive period and re-establish the true spirit of Christmas - simple joys of making and giving handmade, personal gifts, sharing good cheer with friends and family and being thankful for our blessings.
This doesn't just have to apply to Christmas though - the re-discovering of traditional customs that were celebrated throughout the year, in Spring and Summer, may give us all a renewed interest in our heritage and our green and pleasant land.

Just a thought anyway, but if you like the idea, let me know. Let's see what we can do eh? And if this strikes a chord with you, please pass this on.

Let it snow...and snow...and snow!

As the nation is disappearing under a large duvet of snow and starting to resemble a scenic shot from Narnia, I thought I'd get some snaps of the wintery wonderland as who knows when we'll see snow like this again.

So grab a hot cup of cocoa and a duvet, snuggle up and enjoy these wintery snaps. Brrr!

Our backyard last night

Last night as the snow fell...and fell some more!

This was the sight that greeted us this morning

The first of the icicles 

The giant icicle currently hanging outside our window!

 

 I think this icicle is going for a record!

More of our icicles

Review and testimonials

"Begin Again's representatives are as caring as the products they sell, with the emphasis on making life better through using nurturing products that heal as well as cleanse. Every question is answered, every individual need accommodated and addressed - this is no faceless corporation, but a business that really seeks to make a positive difference in people's lives. The approach is refreshing and the energetic approach is very infectious; recommending Begin Again is completely effortless because everybody needs more care and positivity in their lives. "
L.P. Bletchley

Do you want a smooth moisturising shave? Most people, particularly men, would say a resounding "YES" to that question. Shea Butter could be the answer. It is for me.I use it as a pre shave, working it well into a clean wet beard.Let it sit there for a while and use that time to clean your teeth and prepare your shaving gear. Wet your beard again with hot water and then apply your shaving medium of choice. Your whiskers are now soft. Shave, rinsing your razor often in hot water. The end result is a smooth and moisturised face. Razor burn is a thing I used to have. Give it a try. Using Shea Butter as a pre shave could be the best shaving tip you will receive this or any other year.

Great site by the way Fiona.

Date Added: 01/04/2010 by David Prest

 

 

BeginAgain is awesome. Wonderful products and unbelievable service.  I have used the soaps and adore the scents.  In addition the perfume oils are great.  I am not a perfume wearer but even I have enjoyed them.
Julie, USA


Ive had a try of the shea butter soap n must say its fab. as I have really dry skin its one of a few soaps that hasnt dried my skin out. Also tried out the shea butter as a lip balm n body lotion n must say my skin isnt as dry as before. defo give these products a high rating.
Samantha, Tyne & Wear, UK.

The products I ordered were dispatched quickly and I was kept informed of the status of my order. I was very pleased with the products and will be re-ordering.
Anna H, Cheltenham

Begin-Again Product Reviews

I felt it was time we had a designated area on the new blog where you could come along and post your reviews about any Begin-Again products you've tried and enjoyed. 

So, here it is! Feel free to drop us a line or two and tell us your thoughts on our oils, Shea Butter or any of our other products, we would love to hear from you. 

There may even be a giveaway for the best reviews starting soon! :)

LOLCATS - You've got to love them!

Happy New Year everyone! While killing some time waiting for the roast spuds to erm, well roast, I thought I'd rummage around a site that always cheers me up. Well, I say cheers me up, it usually cracks me up!

For those few not familiar with it yet, check out:
http://icanhascheezburger.com

In the meantime, I have included a selection here of some recent funnies. Enjoy!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures


see more Lolcats and funny pictures


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Abba - Happy New Year!

So it's New Years's Eve once again.

I just want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful and prosperous 2010!

Still can't believe we are about to usher in the year 2010...seems odd....surely that's the future?

So does that mean the future's here already? If so, that was quick! Kinda snuck up on me!

Anyway, for those brave enough to be getting their glad rags on and venturing out into the cold and snow, the best of luck and have a fabulous night...you deserve it!

Hubby and I will be enjoying a quiet night in with the cats and no doubt at some point reflecting on the busy year we've had. Oh, and preparing the goose for tomorrow's dinner! :)

2010 is going to be a busy one for us and Begin-Again and we will be using this time to mentally prepare ourselves. With classes and workshops, more all-day events in Care Homes, new Sales Agents to recruit and train, our first Craft Fair to prepare for there will be no end to it this next year and sincerely hope you will all be alongside us for the ride...I have a feeling we will need all the support we can get and we welcome your company!

I put this Abba video here, Happy New Year as I feel it sums up the feeling of New Year and the anti-climactic lull that inevitably follows the parties, the build-up, the anticipation and the final countdown

as we set about bidding 2009 adieu and extend a warm welcome and offer a generous

glass of its favourite tipple to 2010!

Happy New Year everyone! May 2010 bring you more than you dreamed of!

Snow in Chopwell and Santa

So we have also been treated to our share of festive frosting here in the Northeast! We had some severe  snowfall and the landscape now looks festive and ready for Christmas.

This was the picture that greeted us sunday morning from our bedroom window. We were awake early enough to enjoy the sunrise as it lit up the countryside and made the snow glisten.

This is the view over the Derwent Valley looking out from our bedroom window. Stunning.

I was thrilled as the sun was rising to see how it caught a window across from us bringing a sunny warmth and light to the frozen landscape. Magical.

I zoomed in and just had to take a snap of the unspoilt countryside and fields surrounding us.

It felt like us and this little fella were the only ones up in time to see how the snow had shaped and changed the scenery overnight. We all just sat for a while taking it all in.

We are very lucky here in Chopwell to have such wonderful chaps working as our firemen. A this time of year, they take on an extra role, one that has stood the test of time and a long-established tradition that has been around since my hubby was a nipper (some 30-ish years ago!).

Every Christmas, on the last Sunday before Christmas we hear the fire engine's sirens and horns going....signalling to excited children and expectant parents alike that Santa Claus is on his way!

Every year one of the firemen dresses up as Santa and sits atop the fire engine as it drives through the village, accompanied by the other firemen who walk alongside handing out sweets to the kiddies.

It really is the most amazing sight to see and to hear the kids running up the street shouting "Santa's coming!" is such a joy.

And finally......

I thought since this is a festive post, I would leave you with the picutres I took of our beautiful Poinsettia plant, given to us by my cousin Joan.

We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy & peaceful New Year!

Small gift baskets, large gift baskets, just gift baskets!

Here's a picture of one of our small gift basket's I recently put together for an order. I simply used a small basket padded out with gorgeous luxury tissue paper, carefully arranged the customer's items, added a cinnamon stick bundle (a nice touch I thought for a xmas gift), filled out the gaps with forest green Christmas-scented pot pourri and then wrapped with florist cellophane.

The wrapping was actually the trickiest part and is definitely a two-person job! Thankfully, hubby was on hand to hold the basket while I wrapped.
We cater to any budget, and the one above was for £10.00. For that, the customer received a 10mls bottle of perfume, a jar of Shea Butter (60mls I think), a boxed Shea Butter Soap and a sliced handmade soap.

It's such a joy to do and seeing them come to life at each stage is just enchanting.

This was the end result once it had been wrapped and dressed with gorgeous wire-edge ribbon from Costco.

I also added a large gift tag and attached it with cream satin ribbon for a luxurious feel.

The ribbon bows are all tied in a way that you simply have to pull them and the parcel unravels itself. No cutting or awkward knots to deal with!

The next picture is a large gift basket I put together for a 65th birthday present.

This large gift basket contained 3 x boxed soaps, a handmade soap slice, a jar of Shea Butter, a Soapstone oil burner, a Pacstick and a 10mls bottle of perfume and was all presented in a reinforced cardboard box which was decorated and padded out with luxury tissue paper. I again used seasonal pot pourri to fill in the gaps as well as some decorative fabric rosebuds. The parcel was finished off round the sides with the fabulous Costco wire-edged ribbon again.

Oscar's Perilous Adventure

So a couple of weeks ago, Oscar, our youngest kitty suddenly started to lose weight..worrying, and at the same time started to make this blood-curdling crunching and grinding noise when eating wet food. Not when he was eating dry food, but only wet food.
We became very concerned for our little one, and tried everything we could think of to get him interested in eating again.
The grinding/crunching noise was unbearable to hear and pained us enormously when he DID try and eat.
Lord knows how poor Oscar was feeling.

Anyway, this whole thing did not clear up as we had wished and hoped and Oscar continued to lose weight, now a fraction of his usual size.
Hubby and I were becoming frantic, in 9 years Oscar had never been ill and this was heartbreaking to see, my poor little Oscar, who had been with me since he was 10 weeks old, now clearly suffering.

So, after an agonising week and a half, we took our poor little Oscar to a vet in Crawcrook, Tyne & Wear, called Westway who in my opinion, did not necessarily give Oscar as thorough an examination as she could have. Imagine our horror when after a brief glimpse at him and poking his tummy, she declared "it could be a stomach infection...or a tumour"! She gave him an antibiotic shot and told us if he wasn't better in a few days he would have to be admitted, at a cost of £160!

Needless to say, we were NOT happy about this!

After much lengthy debating between hubby and I, we decided we would NOT be returning to that vet.
So, in a frenzy, I called Winlaton Vets, (Tel: 0191 4148081) and the lovely Helen on reception, told me to bring Oscar straight down. Bless her.
So that's just what I did. And the lovely vet Vio, saw Oscar straightaway.
He gave him a thorough examination and discovered a problem with Oscar's jaw - which of course would account for the grinding noise when eating!
The vet gave him antibiotic and anti-inflammatory shots and told me to bring him back the following day (yesterday).
So after my hysterics yesterday and much distress all round, hubby and I experienced our own Christmas miracle - Oscar came home and started eating, and I mean eating! :) He was ravenous!
Clearly whatever the vet gave him was helping him eat more comfortably and easily. We were thrilled! Moreso when he started playing, coming to us and being affectionate and generally seeming more like his usual self!

I took him back yesterday and the vet gave him some anti-inflammatory pills, as well as giving me a fantastic little invention for giving cats pills - an absolute godsend! And I am delighted to report, Oscar is making up for the last couple of weeks lack of food and attention! He's happy, playing, talking to us again and spending lots of time jumping around and looking at things!
He even pulled the Christmas lights off the tree last night! hehehe. That's my Oscar!
I honestly can't fully express how happy and relieved hubby and I are to have him back, and I owe it all to the fantastic Winlaton Vet Centre. They have been kind to us, kept the costs down as much as possible for us, something greatly appreciated, and more importantly have given us our Oscar back.

The Vet even took the time out to show me exactly where the problem was, showed me how to handle him and let me feel where the problem was on his jaw, I learnt a great deal and thank him immensely for this.

So, hopefully, Oscar is well on the road to recovery, fingers crossed, and if anyone needs a Vet and live in Tyne & Wear, I can whole-heartedly recommend Winlaton Vet Centre.

Oscar, left looking nonchalant, while Kevin does his best, I honestly didn't notice you had the camera pose!

And 1, 2, 3...and sleep! Synchronised sleeping formation No.1!

Aaaaaand...stretttccchhhhh!! 

Just to update:

Oscar saw the vet again yesterday and we are happy to report that all seems to be healing nicely. He was given another 7 days worth of tablets just to be sure so we are confident that the little fella is now over the worst of it and most joyously, the awful grinding crunching noise has ceased completely! Oscar is back to his mischievous self and enjoying his food like its going out of fashion! That's my Oscar! :)

Former blog now an archive

For anyone who used to read our other blog on wordpress, (http://begin-again.co.uk/Begin-AgainBlog/) we are now only using that one as an archive. Instead, from now on, all posts, news and product info will be posted here.

UGLee Pen exclusive!

We are delighted to announce that Begin-Again is now the proud UK home of the UGLee Pen! 

This new ergonomic pen designed by a Dr Lee in America (hence the name - Ultimate Grip by Dr Lee), specifically to alleviate aches and pains in the hands when writing. 

With an incredible grip that seems to hold you and do the hard work for you, it's incredibly light-weight without feeling flimsy and makes for a very smooth and natural, comfortable write.

My writing has actually improved since I started using it, as I find I'm writing in a more natural position now.

We are exceptionally proud to be the sole and exclusive UK retailer of the UGLee pen and soon its refills also. Oh yes, it's refillable too! Even better! 

I think this pen would make a fab gift for anyone who does a lot of writing, and it comes in 7 different colours too so there's bound to be one to suit you or a loved one.

More details on our website.

And I can announce exclusively, around March April time of next year, we are planning to hold a Launch party/Craft fair to introduce the UGLee pen and more of our products. The party/craft fair will take place in the Northeast of England and more details will be announced as plans become more definite. 

If anyone who makes their own goods, crafts etc is interested in coming along and having a stall at our craft fair, please email me for more information. There will be a small charge to stallholders, but we will keep that as low as possible. (Email: teasdalene1@googlemail.com).

http://www.begin-again.co.uk/UGLeepen.html

 

My gemstone bracelets

I've been making these bracelets for a while now, and I mainly got into it because I LOVE gemstone beads and so I needed an excuse for buying them! So I started making them a coule of years ago.

Only very recently, I started selling them, I never thought they were good enough to sell but wonderful people out there have been buying them and hopefully are enjoying them and after some coaxing from Pam, (http://www.hortensia.typepad.com/) I now have some pictures of the ones I have at the moment.

So, please enjoy. if anyone is interested in any of my products and would like more info on how to make them, or wants to buy them, just email me.

Email: Teasdalene1@googlemail.com.

 

 

Air dry clay - so much fun

So I decided to pick up some air dry clay as I fancied a change, so I set about playing.

I have come up with the little pieces that you see pictured below. I started out thinking I'd just make some decorative trinkets to attach to keyrings, but I instead ended up attaching some satin ribbon as follows, and now feel they could either be tied onto keys or a bag handle or even tied and added to a Christmas tree!

They are my first efforts, so are a bit rough and ready but I've discovered they are a great deal of fun to make!

I really enjoy the shaping of the clay into something workable and the really satisfying part for me, painting them when they're dry! You can really let your imagination run wild and have fun with colours and patterns.

Some have a Christmassy feel to them and the rest? Me playing about with colours, a variety of shaping tools and patterns.

Why not try making your own? Great inexpensive little extra gifts for Christmas presents.

 

 

Our green and pleasant corner!

We are lucky enough to live on a hill overlooking the Derwent Valley and River Derwent, and surrounded by rolling hills as far as we can see, and all of this from our gate! 
It's a small village with big views that can't help but inspire you, even on a rainy day, as you look out over the valley and see people going about their business and the cars dotted around the landscape that look just as comfortable and happy to be there as the sheep and cows do. 

 

 

 

Focus on pure perfume oils

As many of you already know, we are exceptionally proud of our pure perfume oils, and as many will not already know, I sort of stumbled into the fragrant and ever-so-interesting world of perfume oils rather by chance.

Like every other girly out there, I first discovered perfumes as I gazed upon the ornate, pretty bottles that adorned my Mum's dressing table.

I looked upon them in awe and wondered what olfactory delights were contained within., but still too frightened to pick them up for fear of breaking them. They looked so precious, and on later finding that it was indeed a very expensive bottle of Chanel No.5 that held my fascination for so long, I believe that refraining from picking it up was a very wise course of action on my part!

Funny, but as a teenager, perfumes never held much attraction for me....I was never the sort of girl who people bought perfume for at Christmas or birthdays...not sure why, maybe I just didn't seem the type!

So really, it wasn't until I was a 20-something and working that I started treating myself to the odd bottle of perfume here and there, and believe me it WAS the odd bottle! That's all I could afford.

Anyway, skipping ahead a few years and I found myself married at 27, to a wonderful husband who being fully aware that I hadn't really had many treats in the perfume department, splashed out on a bottle of J'Adore for me - the sweetheart!

I loved that perfume and looked forward to wheeling it out on "special occasions". Sadly, there never seemed to be enough "do's" to give me the chance to splash it on.

Then I noticed something awful......maybe around a year later, I noticed it started smelling different, not quite so pleasant, more chemically, less fragrant, more pungent! Oh no! It was going off!

Needless to say, I was devastated!

So, being the darling that he is, he bought me another bottle of perfume for a birthday, a different one this time.

Obviously it was greatly appreciated, but by now I was starting to become suspicious about their lasting power.

All was well for a while, but then once more the fragrance started to deteriorate, very disappointing.

So once more, the expensive bottle of perfume had gone the distance.

To try and cut a very long story short, I then went on a mission to find an alternative, and after much searching worldwide, discovered perfume oils and the huge range available.  Wow!

So after trying a couple of my fave fragrances and discovering they lasted longer, contained no alcohol and fillers and were MUCH cheaper, meaning I could buy several different  bottles now for the price of one previous bottle, I was hooked!

And soon, my friends and family were too as they started requesting bottles for themselves.....and so...Begin-Again was born!

http://www.begin-again.co.uk/perfume.html

Updates

So, what a busy few weeks we've had!
I apologise for the delays in letting you all know what's happening, but hopefully this will put that right.


OIL BURNERS


Regarding the oil burners, we are currently rethinking our plan to offer them for sale on the website, so they may or may not end up there eventually, but at the moment we have no plans to display them.


 SALES AGENTS & PARTIES


We are very proud to announce we have 2 new Sales Agents onboard!
Shelley, will be covering North of the Tyne River, and Sam who will be covering Gatesahead & possibly Newcastle.
We couldn't be happier as we feel they are 2 of the nicest, friendliest and most suitable people for the job!
Sam is also a qualified beauty & masage therapist too! What a gem! 
So, we are very excited to say that we will now be offering the chance to get your nails done, Indian Head Massage, Aromatherapy massage, Swedish massage, Hopi ear candling and other beauty treatments at any parties in Gateshead or Newcastle!
How fantastic is that? :) We love the extra dimension to our parties now and feel certain that Sam will soon be rushed off her feet! 


Sam will ensure your party is fun and friendly as well as giving you a chance to try premium quality perfume oils, Shea Butter, our newest handmade soap slices and other natural products all at reasonable prices and there'll even be a chance to pick up a freebie or two!


So if you live in Gateshead or Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and want to book a party, email us at:
Enquiries@Begin-Again.co.uk


Look forward to hearing from you! 


UGLEE PEN

We are very excited about one of our new products! We were honoured to be granted exclusive seller's deal for the brand new ergonomic UGLee Pen!
Designed by Dr James Lee, the Ultimate Grip pen (hence the name U G Lee!) has been specially designed to eliminate aches and pains in the hands associated with writing for long periods. 
We will also be supplying the refills and the pen comes in 7 colours and retails at £5.75 each.


NEW CREATE-YOUR-OWN-GIFT-SET SERVICE

We have just launched our new service which takes the hassle out of finding the right gift for someone special.
You simply tell us how much you want to spend on your gift set and we do the rest!
We carefully select appropriate goods from our ranges and lovingly present them in a handmade fabric bucket and can either send them direct to the recipient or to you. 
If the recipient has likes and dislikes, simly email us and let us know. Do you want all pink items? Is it for a special birthday? An anniversary? A graduation?
Or, we do special gift bucket for mums-to-be which include Pure Shea Butter, great for mum and baby, Lavender scented goodies to help mum and baby relax and get some much-needed sleep and some treats for mum to enjoy.
We will also attach a handmade gift tag for you free of charge.

So with lots more going on, and Christmas just around the corner, no doubt the festive season will prove to be a busy one for all of us here at Begin-Again!
We wish you all a very enjoyable and festive season!     

Product delays

As you have no doubt noticed, we have not yet got things like the oil burners up on the website, candles and soaps neither.

We can only apologise profusely as we have suffered unforeseen delays and since we will not accept inferior goods or goods at inflated prices, we are sticking to our guns and determined as ever to only bring you these products when we find the most suitable for us as well as you, and at the best possible price.

We find ourselves facing these delays as we made a promise to only ever stock the best quality goods, and ones we could bring to you at reasonable prices without sacrificing quality and we maintain that promise, which sometimes mean we have to endure delays and hiccups.

Hopefully you will bear with us and please know that we really do appreciate your patience and understanding.

We WILL get there eventually.