Brown

A collection of some scrummy Brown things!

Two Women, a Website and now 6 boys.........

..........nearly 3 months on KiddieBase Story continues 

In October we wrote about our journey so far and how we got to our launch date back in September.  Since then we have had a packed full few months – not least welcoming the 6^th boy into our working world!

The first of our adventures began at the Baby Show at the end of October – we went armed to the show with a selection of amazing prize give aways that had been donated by some of our stores.  We just couldn’t believe how generous the stores were and the products they sent – simply stunning – from this work of art from the amazing PiddleyPix ;)

 

To this gorgeous tutu – one of which I have ordered for a friends little girl – having 6 boys between us doesn’t allow for buying such gorgeous items for ourselves!

The show was fantastic and we got to collect a great number of new subscribers and were able to spread the word about KiddieBase to strangers who totally loved the idea of a dedicated website that brings together stores that are from the bump to 12 year old range – many of which are being run by mumpreneurs themselves.

We have been in many magazines in the last few months including a supplement in the Guardian as well as writing guest blog posts for some of the wonderful people and stores we have met through starting this business – you can find all the articles here including some testimonials from shoppers.

The next exciting stage was going into London to have our first – hopefully of many more ;) interviews by Michael Wilson and then having the camera crews here at home – it is for a business blog and related programme  for SMB’s (small and medium-sized businesses)  and their usage of technology and will be shown on Youtube amongst other places.  It was a fantastic opportunity for a new business just starting out and one we are very proud of being part of - showing how using technology along with the power of social media these days, enables you to run a business and still be a mother and be there for your children – although from a vain point of view I will now be going to get my fringe cut back in!!!

We have learnt a great deal over the last few months regarding the site, the functionality, navigation, purchase process, the look and feel and a great deal has come from having a wonderful relationship with our stores and listening to them and their great feedback.  We are actively looking for new stores and know that our success is nothing without the quality products we have on today and that are continually being added.    

Kiddiebase have just welcomed our 100^th retailer on board and we have over 2000 products and many sales – we are growing every day and are just loving seeing the amazing range of stores and products that are coming on board on a daily basis. 

Thanks to PiddleyPix for allowing our story to be continued on their Blog, and we look forward to the next 3 months!!!

We would also like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and here’s to a prosperous New Year!

Warm regards

Karen & Antonia X

Kiddiebase for Christmas

I am really loving sites where you can do Christmas shopping for a variety of people in one go this year, and if you do too I would suggest Kiddiebase is the perfect place for all of you bump to 12 year olds (and there is stuff for their families too)

Here are some of my favourites:

So before you finish your Christmas shopping check out Kiddiebase now!

Cat Inspired Christmas

As the first of several Christmas inspired posts this may seem a little random, but as I have two sister-in-laws who love cats I thought I would search around for cat associated Christmas Presents, so here is some of what I found!


Colin the Tea Cosy
Available from House Knutsford
Now to be honest we are more of a 'bag in the cup' family, but if you have a teapot and are a cat lover this is a must.
I can't imagine anything cuter keeping your pot warm!
Colin is so cute I am tempted to buy a teapot just to put him on!

The Mad Catter
Sold by The Other Mousie on Etsy
If you are looking for something that little bit different definitely check out this Etsy Store - it is full of original handmade items that are great for Christmas! The Mad Catter is so dapper in his top hat and comes with his own cup of tea as a bonus!






Black Cat Cushion
Available from Hunkydory Home
This beautiful retro cushion would be a lovely addition to any house! You also have a choice to display One big cat or lots of smaller ones, alternate for a slightly different look!







Wooden Cat Mini Puzzle
Sold by Grand Baby through Kiddiebase
....and finally a little something for the kids, a perfect stocking filler, I am always looking for wooden toys for my children and i love the look of this, it has three chunky pieces so is perfect for little hands (suitable from 12 months old)!

So there you have it, four lovely products for those who love cats!

Christmas Is Coming!

 

As you have seen this week we have introduced our Christmas cards to the Piddley Pix site, yes, yes we know it is only October and we should be getting bonfire night out the way first but it seems a lot of people are trying to spread the cost this year, and are starting to prepare for Christmas early!

Now I have to make a confession, we started our Christmas shopping in August, we saw a bargain that we just had to have it and the idea to spread the cost was far too tempting to resist! Where are we now? Well for our children (2.5 yr old and a 6 month old) we have nearly finished, but for the rest of the family well that's another story, let's just say some are more fussy than others!

So now for a little plug; if you are starting your Christmas shopping check out Piddley Pix we have perfect pressies for children of any age, you can buy a 'friend in a frame' straight from the site or you could get something a little bit more special by talking to us about a commission (more info about these coming tomorrow on the blog!)

You can also find us on Kiddiebase along with many other awesome products for families with Bump - 12 years old. Here you will find our one-off prints, these are unique and you would be the only owner of the picture (with a certificate of authenticity).

So, to finish off we would like to give a small shout out to some other places you may find perfect Christmas gifts for the family.

Baby Signing Mummy - A place to start your little ones journey with Baby Signing, we particularly like the Old Lady Complete set - It is on our daughter's Christmas list!

Poppy Sparkles - Check out their facebook page for their Handcrafted Charm Jewellery- really beautiful dainty pieces!

Little Silver Touches - Bespoke Fingerprint Jewellery ; check out the 'perfect for dads' cufflinks

Silver Birch Crafts - Many gifts suitable for the whole family - we love the Soft Baby Books

All About The Boys - If you are looking for that fab new outfit for your Children (girls and boys) to wear for Christmas this is the place, have a look at this Ralph Lauren outfit!

There are so many other places to check out, so keep your eyes peeled for more guest posts, reviews and more on this blog for ideas, also pop back tomorrow for our giveaway!

Two Women, a Website and a Baby – The KiddieBase Story

Back at the end of 2009, 2 good friends were having a coffee (this will be a recurrent theme in this story!) and talking about their lives.

One of them, Antonia, had just decided not to go back to her corporate job quite yet and the other, Karen, was debating whether or not 3 children was enough   Both of them were talking about a need to do something useful and hopefully earn a little bit of money to help their families along.  Karen used to work in retail and Antonia in technology so quite quickly the idea of a shopping-related website emerged (after a few more coffees!).

Exclusive to Kiddiebase - Sold by Piddley Pix

The debate then ensued for some time (for far too long if you were to consult the KiddieBase husbands!)  Then as with the inception of most good ideas, it came back to the general idea of finding a problem and fixing it.  And the problem identified was the huge volume of choice out there online for bumps, babies and children, the time it took to shop and hunt down all the websites and of course, what about the wonderful products that were out there and no-one even knows about!? The KiddieBase ladies really don’t like to miss out on anything you see...  How good would it be if there was a site that brought all these great products together to give the shopper the best choice possible but still let the sellers retain their own brand, individuality, descriptions, pricing etc.  Light-bulbs flashed and an idea was born...

So now the coffee shops of one small town in Buckinghamshire have significantly higher takings, two ladies have an idea and two husbands and 5 small boys have breathed a big sigh of relief.  What next?  A company name you say, that won’t take a minute – let’s just jot a few ideas down.  The greatly abridged version of this chapter is that after a few thousand online searches and many spreadsheets of potential names, KiddieBase – the base for all your kids needs – arrived!

So the idea is here, the name is here, now just a lot of hard work to do.  Plans were put in place, action lists written, logo ideas discussed and then over coffee one morning, Karen said to Antonia, “There’s just one little thing I need to tell you....” and that’s when “Baby Arrives” became a new line on the project plan!  Much debate was had over timing, how quickly could the idea be brought to life from the technical perspective, how much marketing should be done pre-launch, need to be out before Christmas and however many times the plan was cut, September 2010 ended up with two major milestones – “Launch of www.kiddiebase.co.uk” and “Baby Arrives”!

Months of hard work later and the many jokes about the PR potential of the baby and business coinciding became reality!  On 24th September, www.kiddiebase.co.uk went live and early on 25th September Karen’s baby arrived.  The full story of the latter can be found on our blog!  So what’s the situation now?

Poppy Sparkles on Kiddiebase

http://www.kiddiebase.co.uk is live with more than 50 retailers on board, 1000+ products and some sales under its belt.  Antonia and Karen are delighted that KiddieBase is to be featured in a Guardian supplement in October and in a number of local publications and are really looking forward to exhibiting KiddieBase at the Earls Court Baby Show.  They are especially proud of the fantastic group of stores that have joined them and that make the site what it is.  There are some truly amazing products there and the range covered is fantastic – gifts, toys, clothes, art, slings, maternity, nursing, furnishings, travel, accessories, personalised items, totally new products and much, much more...

And Baby KiddieBase, well he’s happy, healthy and just gorgeous......

So, make sure you head over to Kiddiebase and check out all the great products, you will find some one off pieces by Piddley Pix there too!!

Thank you to Antonia and Karen for a wonderful post, Congratulations to them both on the launch of the website and to Karen and family and the arrival of the new baby!!