|
 
|
Lactivist at Zazzle  Lactivist on Cafe Press It makes me so happy to see pictures of little Lactivists wearing their t-shirts and hats. I’ve been collecting customers pictures for a long time now, though I lost hundreds of them when my last computer died a tragic death. Can you see your little Lactivist in the gallery? I’ll add more as I can and if you want to send in any others please just email them to me at moomum@lactivist.co.uk, or post them on the Lactivist Facebook Page – I always check for permission to use images on the Lactivist websites but if you have changed your mind that is no problem, just let me know and I’ll remove any you want me to.
If you live outside Europe but still want a bit of Lactivist yummyness in your home, that is no problem because of the wonderful Etsy. There is a Lactivist Etsy shop with a growing list of the best sellers on but if you see something you want on the European shop – www.lactivist.co.uk just let me know and I’ll list it. Can I give a warm welcome to More 4 Mums who are the latest lovely small business to advertise on www.lactivist.net. It’s the advertisers that keep this place running so please take a moment to check them out. All the businesses who sponsor Lactivist are breastfeeding friendly and you can see a list of them on the Sponsors page, as well as their ads around the site.
Nursing Bras are another item that can be expensive and uncomfortable. The new seamless range from Emma Jane is a best seller – at only £11 it covers a cup size from B-F and is perfect for the early days of breastfeeding when cup sizes fluctuate on a daily or hourly basis! The Bravado bras are the Rolls Royce of Nursing Bras – comfortable and great quality with the Body Silk Seamless being a favourite. There is also a range of Accessories including Minene Nursing Covers & ponchos along with pretty Supersize Muslins for baby. The cute Ruby and Ginger Nappy Purses are perfect for Breastfeeding Mums who don’t need to carry around bottles, just pop the purse in your handbag and you are good to go. You can visit them on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/more4mums Twitter is @more4mums and the main website is www.more4mums.co.uk
Please come and join us, or just pop in and say hello! You can share your breastfeeding stories and events and get help from other mums if you need it. And you will be the first to see new slogan designs from www.lactivist.co.uk that promote breastfeeding, cloth nappies, co-sleeping, home birth and babywearing. ACE Inspire have been incredibly helpful to Lactivist over the past few years and I’m really proud to have them as a site sponsor. This month the spotlight is on them, and you can enter a competition to win 2 of their wonderful books here http://www.lactivist.net/win-a-set-of-books-to-help-you-earn-online-from-aceinspire-ends-30th-sept-2012/
Creating an Email List for Business Mums What is an email list? An email list is a collection of email addresses that have opted in to receive correspondence from a business or individual, this usually involves the person behind the email address ‘opting in’ to receive a newsletter, updates or an e-course. Why should you build an email list? If you have a hobby blog then you may wish to offer more specific content to certain sections of your audience, you may offer a newsletter, or even an e-course on a topic you’re knowledgeable about. If you have a business blog, or a blog you hope to make money from you may wish to build an email list to promote products and services (amongst other content). How to create an email list? Whatever the reason for starting an email list the best, most efficient and crucially legal way of doing so is by using an ESP or Email Service Provider. There are many ESP’s to choose from, if you search in Google for ‘email service provider’ a selection will come up. I use Aweber and I can highly recommend them: many new business owners choose Mailchimp as they offer a good no-cost service. Once you’ve signed up with an ESP and followed the instructions you will reach a point where you’re able to get code for a sign up form template which you can paste into your blog or website. When someone signs up their email address and details are captured by the ESP, you’re then free to send emails which are known as either broadcasts or follow ups from the dashboard of your ESP.
ACE Inspire have been incredibly helpful to Lactivist over the past few years and I’m really proud to have them as a site sponsor. This month the spotlight is on them, watch out for a competition!
An Introduction to Twitter for Business Mums Social media can be daunting if it is new to you. If you aren’t blogging and tweeting, you are actually turning away potential sales and missing the chance to tell customers all about your business and why it is just what they need. Twitter is a simple concept, but it can seem hard to work out how best to use it. The sign up page is easy, and writing 140 character messages takes next to no time. What can seem tricky, though, is to get the right balance of messages that motivate people to buy and interesting items to attract followers. Plus, should you be Tweeting about personal matters as well as business? The way to make Twitter work for you is to have a strategy. Think of 12 promotions and offers that you will be running this year – that’s one for each month. Then, plan your month’s marketing activities around that promotion, and tie your Tweets in too. Use a service like SocialOomph.com to schedule in Tweets highlighting that month’s promotion. I find a countdown like ‘just 3 days left for this month’s offer’ works to add an incentive for people to click through to your site. Like most social media it is free to use, join up to Twitter today and start tweeting.
ACE Inspire have been incredibly helpful to Lactivist over the past few years and I’m really proud to have them as a site sponsor. This month the spotlight is on them, watch out for a competition!
An Introduction to Facebook for Business Mums Facebook isn’t just for keeping up with your friends and playing games, it can be a great business tool. Used in the right way Facebook is a simple and effective way to interact with existing customers and draw in new customers. If you’re using Facebook socially, it is an easy step to turn it into another way people can find out about your business news. Go to ‘groups’ and click the ‘set up a group’ button or click on the link at the bottom of any ‘page’ to set up a page. A group is ideal if you want to promote a membership organisation or club, while a page is more appropriate for most businesses. http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php http://www.facebook.com/groups/create.php Once you have entered the details asked for, add some content. If you have a blog use Networked Blogs to add your blog to your page so that the content feeds through automatically. Send messages about your page to your friends and ask them to highlight it to people who they think might be interested. Once you have a few fans of your page, your messages will be seen by them and, more importantly, by their friends who visit their profiles. The word can spread about your business to people who are contacts of your contacts. Add in the occasional exclusive offer for Facebook fans of your page and people will have even more reason to sign up.
One side has a gorgeous illustration by Emmie Tallboys and the other says “Thank you for breastfeeding in public, you make it easier for other nursing mothers to do the same” Each card has a link you can read with a smartphone that sends you here for more information – http://maybe-diaries.blogspot.co.uk/p/hello-and-thank-you.html If you get one of these cards, please hand it on and spread the thanks!
There are some different ones you can print yourself here http://www.lactivist.net/free-printable-thank-you-for-breastfeeding-in-public-cards/ ACE Inspire have been incredibly helpful to Lactivist over the past few years and I’m really proud to have them as a site sponsor. This month the spotlight is on them, watch out for a competition!
Assessing Your Business Idea Once you have decided to start a business, you need to assess which type of business will work best for you. A business idea that seems great on paper is fine … but you can’t tell if you have a really strong proposition until you have done some research. Make sure you run through this quick checklist and then explore any issues it raises in more depth:
ACE Inspire have been incredibly helpful to Lactivist over the past few years and I’m really proud to have them as a site sponsor. This month the spotlight is on them, watch out for a competition!
Turn Your Hobby into a Business Are you looking for a flexible business idea? If you have a hobby you love, why not make it earn its keep and contribute to the family income too. This is not a way to get rich quick but plenty of women, and a few men, find that they can boost the family budget while doing something they enjoy. Getting started First, get feedback from people about your potential product. Find out how often they might buy it, and how much they would pay. Ask as many people as possible and write down what they say. Work out how much your product will cost. Factor in materials, equipment, and an hourly rate for your time. It is easy to under price crafts and handmade items, and you don’t want to find that you are selling lots, but making a loss. Think about how you will reach out to enough people. Make a schedule of shows you might like to attend, find out the cost of a stall, and work out how many items you will need to make to have a good display. Look at setting up a website to allow you to sell your products 24-7 to people across the UK, or join an online craft marketplace like www.etsy.com.
ACE Inspire have been incredibly helpful to Lactivist over the past few years and I’m really proud to have them as a site sponsor. This month the spotlight is on them, watch out for a competition!
Kitchen Table Business Idea: Become a mum blogger More and more mums are turning to blogging, and many are making money from it too. If you’d like to become a mum blogger, get products to review and receive payments for sponsored posts, read on: Consider combining your blog about parenthood with another topic that you’re passionate about. Once you’ve made a start, in order to get approaches from PR companies offering products or advertisers, you’ll need to persist. I have heard of mums being approached after 3 months, but it can take longer. Make sure you join sites like British Mummy Bloggers and submit your blog to relevant directories. And blog regularly: whether you write 1, 2 or 3 posts a week, as long as you stick to that schedule your readers know when to check in. If you need some inspiration, create a plan for your blog so you post photos on Sunday, write about something that is going on in your life on Tuesday, and share a recommendation on Thursday, say. If you want to write reviews, create a ‘reviews’ page which explains that you are willing to review products, maybe outlines the ages of your kids, and explains how to get in touch. Start by reviewing products that you have bought and days out that you go on so people can see your style. Some bloggers use Kids4Media and Response Source to request items for review. If you’d like to earn through advertising and sponsored posts, again you should create a page which outlines your policy.
ACE Inspire have been incredibly helpful to Lactivist over the past few years and I’m really proud to have them as a site sponsor. This month the spotlight is on them, and you can enter a competition to win 2 of their wonderful books here http://www.lactivist.net/win-a-set-of-books-to-help-you-earn-online-from-aceinspire-ends-30th-sept-2012/
If you’re thinking of setting up a work at home business first set a goal for yourself to start earning … try a target of earning your first £20. I’ve come up with 3 ways to start selling FAST. Try one, and if it isn’t working fast enough for you try the next method.
1. Sign up for paid online surveys – try Opinium, Pinecone Research or search online for more survey sites. Earnings – between 50p and £4 per survey.
2. Get eBaying. Find 5 things you no longer need and list them right away. Top tip: end your auction on a Sunday evening as there are lots of people online then.
3. Sign up for Amazon affiliates, this allows you to earn a few pence from every sale made when someone clicks a link through to Amazon on your website or blog
Clearly in itself this isn’t a business model, but stick with it, this is a process. The point of doing anything right now to achieve an income is so that you can prove to yourself that you can. If you already have a solid business idea, then aim to make your first £20 from that.
What other great FAST ideas have you got to start earning? ACEInspire helps women start and grow successful businesses. If you want more ideas to help you make money online, try their free 7 day eCourse, ‘How to Make Money Online’. Sign up here or below
You can find ACE Inspire on Facebook too www.facebook.com/aceinspire How Do Mums Make Money Online? “Make money online” must be one of the most popular Google searches and will give you about 63,500,000 results. How many of these are scams or things that just don’t work? Mums and mumpreneurs don’t have time to waste trying out things that don’t work so that’s when some reputable training comes in handy. Lactivist has teamed up with Antonia and Erica at ACEInspire.com this month to bring you some handy tips on making money online, whether you’re looking to supplement your income or find a way to stay home with the baby after maternity leave ends. Online business is attractive to mums because it means you can work flexibly from home. Here are some business ideas that some mums use to work flexibly from home: Offer a service. Depending on your existing skills this could be typing transcription, web design, copywriting or accounting. Sell Products. If you’re creative you can sell something you make on Etsy or eBay. If not you could sell other people’s products as an affiliate. Teaching. Do you have knowledge or skills that could be taught in an online course? This could take the form of emails, videos, or mentor calls on Skype. If you haven’t got much time to dedicate to researching ideas you might enjoy a short eCourse in how to make money online. This 7 day eCourse from Ace Inspire How I Make Money Online is free to take part and offers you a different idea each day. Sign up below for the course:
Moon Times pads are handmade with organic cotton flannelette & fair trade organic cotton. Inserts are available in organic cotton, hemp & towelling for extra absorbency. Flannelette is both soft & absorbent -used as the ‘top’ layer- next to your skin. You put an ‘insert’ (a small liner) inside the pocket of the pad (or a few if you are bleeding heavily). Pads have wings and fasten with press studs so they are very secure! There are a few colour themes- plain organic (white or coloured), dark colours- blacks and reds** and patterned* (*prints of flowers, stars, animal prints, rabbits, hearts etc can vary dependant on what is available). ** The top fabric on the dark and patterned flannelette is not organic. When you first use Moon Times products, it may seem as if your flow is heavier or even lighter than usual- this is natural- I believe that some of the chemicals used in other sanitary products can affect the amount we bleed-also we may not be used to seeing our blood that closely! Even if you only use ‘Moons’ at night it will reduce the amount of sanitary waste we women produce with ‘disposable’ products. We spend an average 6.5 years of our lives bleeding. Most women in the world have no access to the luxury of disposable sanitary towels & tampons but the average woman in the ‘developed’ world uses thousands of these products during her life. Taboos about menstruation have led to expensive, wasteful, polluting sanitary items, which bring unnecessary health & environmental problems.
Moon Times are an ideal gift for young women new to their menses and for new mothers who need soft cloth against their delicate tissue after giving birth. They can also be used by women who suffer from slight incontinence.
Panty Liners cost from £4.50, Pads from £7.50, Starter kits from £26
One of the products they sell are Moon Times Moon Sponges which are the environmentally friendly & comfortable alternative to ‘disposable’ tampons! Moon Sponges are natural sea sponge that you can use instead of a tampon. Women have used sponges as tampons for thousands of years! Also available; Moon Sponges for Prolapse: For many women Moon Sponges are a natural alternative to the pessary, easy to insert and clean, comfortable, and inexpensive. These prolapse sponges are specifically larger sized than our Moon Sponge Tampons providing you the reassurance you need Small Size Moon Sponges: These sponges are a smaller size for light flow days, young women or pre birth. Frequently Asked Questions: Is it environmentally friendly to use sponge? Moon Sponges have been picked individually from the Mediterranean Ocean so that the ocean beds continue to restock themselves. The divers who collect the sponges are careful to ensure that the roots of the sponge remain intact so as the sponge can regenerate. They have been farming sponges for generations and if they over pick them they will lose their livelihood. Traditional tampons are easy and convenient. Traditional tampons take about 6 months to biodegrade and love to block up our plumbing! Health wise, the bleaches used in tampons have links with cervical cancer and they are responsible for Toxic Shock Syndrome. It’s not sterile. Neither is a traditional tampon, or your hands, or your vagina! By selling disposable tampons in a plastic wrapper it lets us believe its sterile- but its not! How do you reuse it? Method 1; pull out your Moon Sponge & rinse it under the tap/ or take a water bottle in to the toilet with you to rise it. Method 2; put the full sponge into the specially provided bag to wash later & insert a clean one. How long do they last? With care a Moon Sponge can last a year. Using 4 or 5 tampons a day over 4 days on average equals a pack of 20 costing around £2. A pair of Moon Sponges cost £8-9, so they could pay back their cost in 4 months, Eventually your Moon Sponge will lose some of it’s bounce & become less absorbent, that is when it is time replace it. I have really heavy periods! You can use 2 Moon Sponges at once-one higher and one lower.
I was wondering if I can go swimming while using a Moon Sponge? What about menstrual blood in the sea or a lake? You may use your sponge while swimming. The sponge will prevent any bacteria in the water from entering your vagina. We don’t see any problem with your menstrual blood in the sea or a lake when you consider the millions of other organisms already in there! However, we would suggest that you use one of our disinfecting methods for your sponge after swimming in the sea or a lake. Have fun! Are there any health risks with a Moon Sponge? According to www.tamponalert.org.uk the charity that exposes the dangers of Toxic Shock Syndrome and they said “We have no evidence of sponges causing TSS. All known cases of menstrual TSS have been in association with tampons containing man-made fibre, and in recent years this means RAYON.”
Rinsing and Storage: Never use harsh soap on your Moon Sponge. It leaves a film that upsets the natural PH balance of your vagina. You may boil your sponge for about 2 minutes if you wish, however, we do not recommend it because it shrinks and toughens your Moon Sponge, and also shortens its useful lifetime. We have no scientific evidence, but it is a fact that micro waving changes the molecular structure of matter, so we would not recommend it. When you are on your Moon Time, you just need to rinse your sponge in water and re-insert it (sometimes you may find yourself ‘caught short’ in a public toilet with no where to rinse- so just give it a squeeze, wipe your hands on some toilet roll and re-insert! Ideally have a bottle of water in your bag or a ‘ready to use’ wet sponge in a wash bag)
Between cycles, there are several ways to disinfect Moon Sponges. You may soak them in any of these mixtures: 1.A solution of 1 or 2 drops of tea tree oil and 1 cup warm water (tea tree oil has been shown to inhibit 60 strains of bacteria, including s. aureus) 2. A solution of 1 tbsp. cider vinegar in 1 cup of water 3. A solution of 1 tbsp. baking soda in 1 cup of warm water. 4. A solution of 1 tsp. Colloidal Silver to 1 cup warm water. There is not a pathogenic organism known that is not killed by Colloidal Silver in six minutes or less. Its use is also of benefit to women who suffer from recurrent Candida (yeast) infections. 5. Air drying between cycles (preferably in natural sunlight) really is sufficient. Remember to always keep an extra Moon Sponge on hand during your cycle incase rinsing isn’t convenient! Please visit www.moontimes.co.uk for more information and to see their huge range of eco friendly alternatives to disposable tampons. And if you are a company that is interested in sponsoring www.lactivist.net please check out the advertising page. Rates start from just £5 a month! The Natural Nursery is returning to the High Street, Exeter McCoy Arcade to be exact and it is taking Lactivist goodies with it! Lactivist sells a range of fairly traded organic baby t-shirts, bags and hats with slogans that promote breastfeeding, co-sleeping, cloth nappies and home births. Exeter families will be able to see and handle a range of baby carriers and real nappies before ordering exactly what they want, knowing it is the perfect product for them. They will also be able to see and feel the beautiful soft organic cotton that makes Lactivist products so very special. Lisa from Lactivist will be there as much as possible so if you already own any Lactivist goodies please come and say hi! The shop will be open from 10am-4pm on: Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th September Thursday 25th to Saturday 27th October Thursday 22nd to Saturday 24th November It will be located in the McCoy Arcade, on Fore Street, Exeter.
If you are looking for the perfect present for a new baby these wonderful soft, organic, fairly traded baby knot hats are ideal. The slogan “Born at Home” features a house with a heart in the middle and a heart as smoke coming out of the chimney. If you are quick there are some matching baby bodysuits with the same design but I only had 5 printed as a trial run. Keep Calm and Carry on Breastfeeding is printed in red ink with a Lactivist take on the retro World War two slogan and at the top of the slogan are two red International Breastfeeding Symbols. Mummy Milk Rocks has red blending into purple, perfect for girls or boys. You can see the full range of Lactivist hats at www.lactivist.co.uk These hats measure 38cm around the bottom hem unstretched – stretched they measure 46cm. The height of the hats vary, please let me know if you would prefer smaller or larger. At Moon Times we have a few books to help with natural fertility/contraception; charting your cycle and being aware of your monthly ebbs and flows can help women concieve or avoid conception without the use of hormonal drugs. Realistically you can only consider cycle charting as a natural contraceptive if your cycle is regular (roughly every 28 days), if you have an irregular cycle, the first steps are getting it regular for quite a few months before using this method. (Alexandra Popes’ book Wild Genie has lots of info for healthy regular cycles) The Billings Method book a clear guide for women whose cycles are regular or irregular, who are coming off the pill, breastfeeding or approaching menopause I’d recommend this book for women with irregular cycles. If you are coming off the Pill (or any hormonal contraceptive) it can take a while for your cycle to normalise- so its recommended you chart your cycle for a few months while it regularises. In the meantime I would recommend using a barrier method (condom or similar) for contraceptive while you get the hang of charting your ovulation.And once you have the hang of knowing when you’re ovulating, you still need to consider some sort of contraceptive! Or choose to abstain on those days.
£22.00
For women who want to chart their cycle naturally: Includes information on your cycle, your hormonal changes throughout the month, natural methods to chart your fertility and has a 400 page journal to guide you through your cycle! Set includes a moon chart and moon mala beads. Tuning in and listening to your body is the key to self empowerment and well being! This set including journal, cycle malas and moon chart provide an interactive tool to enable you to understand how your cycle and body are influenced by your hormones and the ebb and flow of the moons cycles. A valuable book for all women, young and old! Moon Times® Cycle Charting Journal and Moon Cycle Malas are created by Rachael Hertogs Front cover art by Suzie Goose
£5.50 A booklet for young women; including menarche (first period) stories, the connection to the moon, understanding your cycle, menstrual tips, books and poems. Starting your period is a natural process however; initially it can be a little scary. You may know what your period is, but still be a little frightened when it starts. This book is a chance to explore your feelings, thoughts, creativity that comes from being a bleeding woman, it will help you understand how your cycle and body are influenced by your hormones and the ebb and flow of the moons cycles. front cover artwork by Dorrie Joy
£12.00 250+ page book, Thirteen Moons includes a Moon Journal for you to fill in and chart the connection between your cycle and the moon, as well as containing many articles by inspiring and amazing women, poems, art, stories and much more! Thirteen Moons is based on 13 chapters, all celebrating Women’s Wisdom and Women’s Cycles:
Red Moon: Sacred Blood Maiden Moon: Ceremony, Ritual Mother Moon: Celebration Healers Moon: Wise Women’s Herbs Ancestor Moon: Moon Lodges & Red Tents Honey Moon: Nurturing Foods Crone Moon: Wildness of Woman Goddess Moon: Quiet Space Within Sister Moon: Sharing Stories and Traditions Warrior Moon: Standing up for your Truths Wise Woman Moon: Advice and Tips Harvest Moon: Sharing Creativity Grandmother Moon: 13 Moons Journal Each chapter includes many articles, advice and healing tools to empower!
It is a ‘not for profit publication’- any profits made go to insuring free books go out to schools, girls and women’s groups. Cover Art by Suzie Goose.
|
|
|
|
Content copyright © Lactivist.co.uk unless otherwise stated. Feel free to repost and share as long as www.lactivist.co.uk is credited. 2013 Breastfeeding News, Views, Research, Support and Events. - All Rights Reserved Powered by WordPress & Atahualpa |
|||
Any Old Cow – Shopping Bag 
Mummy Milk Rocks – Shopping Bag 
Care Instructions – Shopping Bag 
Recent Comments